NORTHERN IRELAND

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many voters were on the electoral register in Northern Ireland in the register compiled in the year (a) preceding and (b) following the introduction of individual voter registration in Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is responsible for maintaining the electoral register in Northern Ireland. Statistics about the size of the electorate can be found on his website at:
	http://www.eoni.org.uk/index/statistics/electorate-statistics.htm
	The hon. Member may wish to write to him directly with any further queries.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts his Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office does not hold any contracts with G4S.

IBM

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office does not hold any contracts with IBM.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Aerials

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the 800MHz spectrum auction on competition in the mobile network provider industry;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure equal treatment for all mobile providers on the 800MHz and 900MHz spectrum; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: No assessment has been made of the likely competition effects of the auction but the Government tasked Ofcom in a Direction made in December 2010 to do this and to address competition concerns appropriately and proportionately. A competition assessment and proposals were published in Ofcom's March 2011 consultation. Ofcom proposed spectrum caps, limiting both holdings of sub-1GHz and total spectrum holdings, to allow all mobile providers equitable treatment in being able to secure a portfolio of appropriate spectrum holdings to operate and compete effectively.

Broadband

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of people in St Albans constituency who live in areas with low-speed broadband.

Edward Vaizey: Approximately 3% of premises (business and residential) in St Albans constituency are estimated to have a connection speed of less than 2 Mbit/s.
	Broadband Delivery UK is assessing current broadband provision at community level across the UK in its work to deliver the coalition Government's objective to facilitate universal broadband access of at least 2Mbps and achieve the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015.

Broadcasting: Alcoholic Drinks

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what guidance Ofcom issues to broadcasters on the provision of alcohol to participants in shows filmed for television broadcast.

Edward Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who advised:
	Ofcom does not issue specific guidance to broadcasters on this issue. However, under Ofcom's Broadcasting Code due care must be taken over the physical and emotional welfare and the dignity of people under 18 who take part or are otherwise involved in programmes. This is irrespective of any consent given by the participant or by a parent, guardian or other person over the age of 18 in loco parentis. As well as this, programmes must not include material (whether in individual programmes or in programmes taken together) which, taking into account the context, condones or glamorises violent, dangerous or seriously antisocial behaviour and is likely to encourage others to copy such behaviour.

Departmental Procurement

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is;
	(2)  how many contracts his Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is;
	(3)  how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

John Penrose: This Department does not have any contracts with Crown Relocations, Serco or IBM.

Libraries

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department issues guidance to local authorities on the (a) purchase and (b) dissemination of books of anti-Semitic nature by libraries within their borough; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: Decisions on the publications libraries stock are made by individual library authorities. Libraries need to balance issues of freedom of expression and democratic dialogue with concerns about controversy or offence. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) guidance on controversial material supports libraries as they make case by case decisions about what to stock. This is available at:
	http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/support/toolkits/~/media/Files/pdf/2009/ControversialMaterialReport

National Lottery

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what financial assistance (a) his Department and (b) the National Lottery has given to (i) amateur and (ii) professional sports clubs in Brighton, Kemptown constituency since 2010.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England invests national lottery and Exchequer funding in community sport. Although Sport England does not record the amount of financial assistance specifically provided to amateur and professional sports clubs in constituency areas, £244,456 of lottery funding has been awarded to community sport in the Brighton, Kemptown constituency since April 2010, and £347,143 of Exchequer funding.

Sports: Betting

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with national sports governing bodies on the effects of sports betting.

Hugh Robertson: I meet regularly with sports governing bodies to discuss a range of issues including sports betting. On 8 February I spoke at a seminar run by the Sports Betting Group that was attended by many of the members of the Sport and Recreation Alliance.

Sportsgrounds

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on reducing the rate of VAT on the hire of sports grounds.

Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has frequent contact with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), on a wide range of issues. Departmental officials have had discussions with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on VAT and sports clubs and received advice on their position. Tax policy decisions remain a matter for HMRC.

EDUCATION

Academies: Gillingham

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in Gillingham and Rainham constituency have (a) converted and (b) applied to convert to academy status.

Nick Gibb: At present, one school in the Gillingham and Rainham constituency has converted to academy status: Rainham School for Girls, which opened in February 2011. Rainham Mark Grammar School has applied to convert to academy status. There is one sponsored academy already open in the Gillingham and Rainham constituency—Brompton Academy—which opened in September 2010.
	Full details of schools that have formally applied for academy status, as well as a list of academies that have opened in the academic year 2010/11 can be found on the Department for Education’s academies website at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesof schools/academies/a0069811/schools-submitting-applications-and-academies-that-have-opened-in-201011

Arts: Education

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the total number of full-time equivalent specialist art teacher posts in maintained (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in each of the next three academic years.

Nick Gibb: The number of teachers that schools employ in future years will, as now, be a matter for them to decide, according to local needs and subject to statutory requirements on class sizes where appropriate. For funding purposes, the Department has produced overall estimates of teaching posts in state schools and academies in England.
	The Government do not produce estimates of the future numbers of teaching posts in particular subjects. Estimates of the proportion of teachers working in secondary schools who will be qualified in different subjects are however produced as part of the Department for Education's teacher supply and demand modelling process. These estimates, broken down by subject, are not currently made for teachers working in primary schools.
	The latest School Workforce Census data indicates there are around 13,200 art teachers in state funded secondary schools. Of these, around 11,400 hold a relevant post A-level qualification. Estimates for the future number of specialist art teachers in state funded secondary schools indicate that there will be a decrease of around 100 to 200 teachers in each year. This is in line with a decreasing requirement for secondary teachers as a result of the ongoing decline in secondary pupil numbers.

Free Schools: South Yorkshire

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many proposals for free schools in (a) Barnsley and (b) South Yorkshire his Department has received.

Nick Gibb: To date, the Department has received one proposal from a group in Barnsley seeking to establish a Free School, and a further five proposals have been received from groups in South Yorkshire.

Schools: Islam

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what funding his Department has provided to Tifly Day Care in London since May 2010;
	(2)  what funding his Department has provided to the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation schools in London since May 2010.

Sarah Teather: The two Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation (ISF) schools in Haringey and Slough are registered independent schools. They receive no direct funding from the Department for Education.
	Haringey council has advised the Department that Tifly Day Care forms part of the London school. The LA has given the school money, for free early education. Slough borough council has also allocated funding to the ISF school in its borough for free early education
	The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), wrote to both local authorities in October 2010 seeking assurances about the processes they had in place to ensure that public funds are being spent appropriately, and are not being used to further extremism. Both authorities agreed that, on the basis of information available to them, they had no reason to withdraw early years funding from the schools.
	Subsequently, the school in Haringey was inspected in October 2010. It was inspected by Ofsted rather than the Bridge Schools Inspectorate at the explicit request of the Secretary of State. The overall judgment of the quality of education provided was ‘inadequate’. It was served with a notice to improve. Further action will follow.
	The Government are clear that there should be no place for extremist views in any school or early years settings. That is why we have established a Preventing Extremism Unit within the Department for Education focusing specifically on safeguards such as strengthening the regulatory framework to ensure extremists cannot operate in schools or early years settings.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to implement the recommendation of the report of the Independent Review of Higher Education in respect of the provision to pupils of individualised careers advice delivered by certified professionals.

Nick Gibb: Subject to the passage of the Education Bill, schools will be under a duty to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for their pupils from September 2012. Under the new duty, schools will be free to make arrangements for careers guidance that fit the needs and circumstances of their students, including determining the appropriate balance between web-based, telephone and face to face support. In support of the new duty, schools will be able to access high quality support from providers who have achieved a national quality standard for careers guidance.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the provision of funding for new careers advice services in schools and colleges.

Nick Gibb: Subject to the passage of the Education Bill, schools will be responsible for securing independent careers guidance for their pupils from September 2012. We will be consulting on extending the duty to colleges in due course. Schools and colleges will be free to determine their local arrangements, including decisions relating to the local funding of careers guidance. Online and helpline services currently funded by the Department for Education will, during the academic year 2011/12, be integrated with those for adults as part of the establishment of a National Careers Service.

Students

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities are meeting statutory obligations to pupils under alternative provision.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 9 June 2011
	Local authorities' statutory obligation with regard to alternative provision is to arrange suitable education for pupils who fall under section 19 of the Education Act 1996.
	At present, this education only has to be full-time for those pupils who have been permanently excluded from school. We believe that all pupils who fall under section 19 should be entitled to full-time education, unless this is inappropriate for health reasons.
	That is why we have taken measures to commence section 3A of the Children, Schools and Families Act 2010 from September 2011. This section redefined the section 19 duty, to the effect that the education should be full-time for all pupils in alternative provision, unless there are reasons which relate to the physical or mental health of the child which would mean that this would not be in the child's best interests.
	There is no duty upon local authorities to report the provision they make for the pupils who fall within the scope of section 19. We have no plans to require local authorities to provide this information. The Department for Education investigates any parental concerns about such provision, and the Secretary of State has powers to intervene where a local authority is not fulfilling its statutory duty.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund: Doncaster

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding has been provided from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund for organisations in Doncaster in each year of the fund's operation.

Richard Benyon: The Aggregates Levy Database records Doncaster council, an Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) delivery partner, as distributing £188,600 for community-based projects.
	Doncaster council will also have benefited from a total of £1,623,887 of funds (including the £188,600) that has been distributed to South Yorkshire region since the ALSFs inception in 2002 and will have also benefited from general national ALSF-funded projects and research activities.
	A table listing the 20 projects funded within the South Yorkshire region (including Doncaster) follows:
	
		
			 Grant funds distributed by delivery partners in South Yorkshire (including Doncaster) since 2002 
			 Delivery partner Project duration Grant (£) 
			 Natural England (1)— 40,378 
			 Natural England 30 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 66,162 
			 Doncaster council 11 November 2006 to 31 March 2007 13,500 
			 Natural England 19 August 2005 to 31 March 2007 138,701 
			 WRAP 4 March 2003 to 26 January 2004 573,788 
			 English Heritage 16 April 2007 to 17 March 2008 51,580 
			 ACRE 1 December 2010 to 31 January 2011 8,348 
			 Doncaster council 11 September 2006 to 31 March 2007 5,100 
			 Countryside Agency 26 October 2004 to 30 March 2005 12,263 
			 English Heritage 6 March 2006 to 19 February 2007 3,000 
			 Doncaster council 15 November 2005 to 31 March 2006 30,000 
			 Doncaster council 1 September 2006 to 31 March 2007 30,000 
			 Countryside Agency (1)— 170,000 
			 Natural England 31 January 2005 to 31 March 2005 50,000 
			 Natural England 11 July 2007 to 31 March 2008 125,167 
			 Doncaster council 1 February 2006 to 31 March 2006 51,588 
			 Doncaster council 16 January 2006 to 31 March 2006 52,300 
			 Natural England 31 November 2009 to 15 March 2010 75,000 
			 Natural England 17 June 2004 to 31 March 2005 120,900 
			 Doncaster council 31 January 2006 to 31 March 2006 6,112 
			 Total — 1,623,887 
			 (1) Not stated.  Source:  Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund Database.

Beaches: Morecambe

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure that beaches in Morecambe are safe for bathing.

Richard Benyon: Bathing water quality in Morecambe has improved over the last 30 years as a result of significant investment.
	The National Environment Programme that forms part of United Utilities' Asset Management Plan for 2010-15 includes 10 schemes designed to improve bathing water quality in the Morecambe area.
	Natural England and the Environment Agency have proposed a two-year partnership project on the lower River Lune estuary under DEFRA's Catchment Sensitive Farming initiative. This would promote voluntary action by farmers and other land managers to tackle diffuse water pollution from agriculture.
	An urban diffuse pollution project by United Utilities is nearing completion. It examines surface water outfalls along the Heysham and Morecambe sea front and has highlighted several areas of concern that the Environment Agency is working closely with United Utilities to resolve.

Crown Relocations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts her Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Richard Benyon: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its Executive Agencies hold no contracts with Crown Relocations.

Droughts

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the management of future long spells of dry weather.

Richard Benyon: There is a robust statutory framework in place for managing the impacts of dry weather. Water resources legislation enables Government to manage water abstraction demands, taking account of water availability, and the needs of businesses, consumers and the environment. In addition, water companies prepare and maintain statutory drought plans that set out the actions they will take in response to drought in order to maintain the public water supply.
	Climate change is expected to increase the pressure on our water resources and may lead to an increase in frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts.
	The Natural Environment White Paper, published on 7 June, announced our intention to provide clearer signals to drive investment decisions to meet water needs and protect ecosystems. The Water White Paper, which is due to be published in December, will provide further details regarding abstraction.

Exhaust Emissions: Bus Services

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the contribution of emissions from public service vehicles to breaches of EU standards for maximum levels of nitrogen oxides in (a) London and (b) other metropolitan areas.

Richard Benyon: The Government have completed an assessment of the contribution from all road transport sources to emissions of oxides of nitrogen in London and all other metropolitan areas where there are exceedences of the nitrogen dioxide limit value. This assessment takes into account emissions from public service vehicles and buses and has been published as part of a consultation on draft air quality plans for nitrogen dioxide, which is available on the DEFRA website at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2011/06/09/air-quality/

Flooding: St Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent assessment the Environment Agency has made of the risk of flooding in St Albans constituency;
	(2)  what recent steps have been taken by the Environment Agency to reduce the risk of flooding in St Albans constituency.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency's latest flood zone maps identify that approximately 1,400 properties are at significant risk of flooding from local river systems within the St Albans constituency.
	The Environment Agency is in contact with St Albans district council to identify surface water and flooding alleviation options for its local watercourse systems. If any viable schemes can be identified, these will be included as funding bids under a future works programme.
	The Environment Agency is also liaising with Hertfordshire county council to establish a prioritised programme of works to address surface water flooding as identified by its surface water management plans.

Forests

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on proposals to extend the boundaries of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty into the Lune Valley.

Richard Benyon: Natural England has no plans to amend the boundaries of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Current efforts focus on consulting on proposals for the Lune Valley to the north of Kirkby Lonsdale to form part of an extension to the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts her Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Richard Benyon: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its Executive agencies hold no contracts with G4S.

Motor Vehicles: Litter

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made in examining proposals to amend the law on litter from motor vehicles.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 9 June 2011
	It is a crime to drop litter, and the offender can be prosecuted in a magistrates court and fined. Littering from a vehicle, especially when it is travelling at speed, presents particular difficulties for local authority enforcement officers in clearly identifying the offender.
	An amendment tabled during the Commons Report stage of the Localism Bill proposes to extend the scope of the current offence of littering to make the registered keeper of a vehicle criminally liable whether or not they were present or personally responsible for the littering. That approach raises serious concerns over fairness and proportionality.
	A key element in tackling litter is changing littering behaviour. That is why the Government are supporting, through their grant to the charity Keep Britain Tidy, the Love Where You Live campaign which draws together business, communities, local authorities and civil society organisations in partnership to secure a lasting change in behaviour. As part of this, we will be looking to work further with business and others to develop ways of tackling vehicle litter.
	Borough councils in London will shortly be able to use new powers acquired through a private Bill currently before Parliament to tackle vehicle littering by issuing a civil penalty. It makes sense for Government to seek to learn the lessons of that approach in London before considering further legislation in this area.

Noise: Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made in implementing the provisions of the Noise Policy Statement for England at Heathrow and the surrounding area.

Richard Benyon: The Noise Policy Statement for England (NPSE) is becoming embedded in a wide range of policies including the White Paper “Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon—Making Sustainable Local Transport Happen”, published in January 2011, and the consultation document “Developing a sustainable framework for UK aviation: Scoping document”, published in March 2011, both of which affect Heathrow and the surrounding area.
	Furthermore, the various noise action plans adopted under the environmental noise directive, including those covering the London agglomeration, major roads, major railways and Heathrow airport also embrace the principles found in the NPSE.
	Consequently, good progress is being made in implementing the NPSE at Heathrow and the surrounding area.

Noise: Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the UK's capacity to meet its obligations under the EU Environmental Noise Directive at Heathrow and the surrounding area.

Richard Benyon: The production of Noise Action Plans (NAPs) is a legal requirement under the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC. The NAPs for 23 agglomerations, including London, and for major roads and railways have been adopted and published. The London Agglomeration NAP, which includes Heathrow and the surrounding area, and the associated first priority location maps, can be found at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/environmental-noise/action-plans/
	The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), formally adopted the Noise Action Plan for Heathrow airport on 19 May 2011 and the final plan will shortly be published by the airport.
	Consequently, together with the noise mapping that was completed in 2007 and the information that can be found on the DEFRA website showing the results of the mapping, the UK has fully met all its obligations with regard to the environmental noise directive at Heathrow and the surrounding area.

Rats: Henderson Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the rat infestation on Henderson Island.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has made no assessment of the rat infestation on Henderson Island.
	However, two studies on rat eradication on Henderson Island, funded through the Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP), were completed in 2008 and 2009. Since then an OTEP-funded detailed operational plan for rat eradication was prepared as part of a project managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
	At the tenth Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan, last October, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), was pleased to announce that DEFRA would be committing £200,000 towards an RSPB initiative to support the endangered Henderson petrel, also safeguarding populations of other important, threatened bird species and restoring a globally-significant island ecosystem on Henderson Island.
	This brings the total funding that Her Majesty's Government have so far contributed towards the eradication of rats on Henderson Island to over £400,000.

Serco

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts her Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Richard Benyon: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has a multi-source framework agreement with Serco Consulting. This framework is for the provision of interim programme and project managers. The framework contract expires on 2 December 2011. There are currently no active contracts under this agreement for the Department.
	The Department and its executive agencies hold no other contracts with Serco.

Trade Unions

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff of (a) her Department, (b) Animal Health, (c) the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, (d) Forest Research, (e) Forest Enterprise (England), (f) the Food and Environment Research Agency, (g) the Marine and Fisheries Agency, (h) the Rural Payments Agency, (i) the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and (j) the Veterinary Medicines Directorate are entitled to work (i) full-time as trade union representatives and (ii) part-time on trade union activities; how many such staff are paid more than £25,900 annually; and what the cost to the public purse of employing such staff on such duties was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number   of full time TU representatives Number   of part time TU representatives Number   of reps who earn more than £25,900 annually 
			 (a) Core DEFRA(1) 12 3 10 
			 (b) + (i) Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency(2) 2 56 29 
			 (c) Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science 0 0 0 
			 (d) + (e) Forestry Commission(3) 2 2 (4)— 
			 (f) Food and Environment Research Agency 0 28 23 
			 (g) Marine Management Organisation(5) 0 17 2 
			 (h) Rural Payments Agency 3 86 31 
		
	
	
		
			 (j) Veterinary Medicines Directorate 0 0 0 
			 (1) We have recently completed a review of Trade Union facility time in core DEFRA. This will result in a reduction in the cost of facility time from 2011-12 (an annual saving of £89,000). The representation will be reduced to two full-time representatives and 13 part-time representatives. Further work is planned to reduce the cost and streamline the management of trade union activity within DEFRA and its Agencies. (2) Animal Health, and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, merged into one new Agency, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency on 1 April 2011. (3) The Forestry Commission, which includes Forest Research and Forest Enterprise England is a cross border body which does not separately account for the trade union activity it supports by country or area of activity. (4) Number cannot be provided because it is less than five and therefore not disclosable on the grounds of confidentiality. (5) The Marine and Fisheries Agency was subsumed into the Marine Management Organisation on 1 April 2010. 
		
	
	The cost to the public purse of time that staff spent on trade union duties in the 2010-11 financial year for the organisations shown was £1,251,000. The latest figure available for RPA is for the 2009-10 financial year and this has therefore been used in the total cost figure.

Waste Management: EU Law

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made on progress in meeting obligations under the EU Waste Framework Directive.

Richard Benyon: The regulations transposing the revised Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) in England and Wales came into force on 29 March 2011 and no assessment has yet been made of their implementation. Article 37 requires member states to submit reports on their implementation of the directive to the European Commission every three years and the first report must be submitted by 30 September 2013. The transposing regulations will be monitored in order to prepare that report and will be reviewed in the light of the report that is submitted.

Water: Sports

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider the merits of introducing a statutory right of access for unpowered craft to inland water for recreational purposes.

Richard Benyon: We have no plans to introduce a statutory right of access to inland water for unpowered craft for recreational purposes. We are keen to achieve far greater levels of access to waterways for canoeists and other users by encouraging locally agreed, voluntary, access agreements. This fits very well with the big society agenda as it will give access where it is needed and meet the needs of all users and interested parties.

Waterways Trust

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that the British Waterways Charitable Trust will receive adequate funding to maintain its inland waterways network.

Richard Benyon: The majority of funding for British Waterways comes from its commercial activities and through its licensing operations. During the last spending review period, grant contributed between 30% and 35% of British Waterways' revenue which is spent on the waterways in England and Wales.
	In the current, tough fiscal environment, the Government will give the new waterways charity the best possible start. It has already committed to transfer BW's commercial property portfolio and committed to long-term funding at the 2014-15 level (£39 million) to 2022-23 inclusive. The terms and conditions of the funding will be subject to negotiation with the recently appointed trustees of the new waterways charity.
	Making British Waterways a charitable company creates new opportunities for growing income from private and commercial sources, making efficiencies and forming supportive partnerships. The charity will also be able to borrow against its assets and so expand income in the longer term.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 388-9W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, when he expects pre-deployment training on cultural and gender awareness to be available to members of the armed forces.

Nick Harvey: As stated in the answer of 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 388-89W, all personnel deployed to any operational theatre already undertake law of armed conflict training which covers the status of protected persons including women and children and some cultural awareness training as part of their pre-deployment preparation.
	In accordance with the UK National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325, the Ministry of Defence is committed to continuously developing and delivering its pre-deployment training on cultural (including gender) awareness for the UK armed forces. Training is regularly reviewed and updates will be incorporated as and when they are appropriate.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date in January 2011 the tour of duty of soldiers of 2 Signal Regiment in Afghanistan ended; on what date an aircraft was provided to fly them home; what the reasons were for the length of the period of time between the end of the tour of duty and the flight home; what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time between the end of tours of duty on active service overseas and the transport of service personnel to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: 2 Signal Regiment conducted their Transfer of Authority on 15 January 2011. It is standard practice to stagger the arrival and departure of a unit's personnel to and from Afghanistan, in order to maintain operational capability, balance troop movements across theatre and aid in ensuring a smooth handover from one unit to another. Therefore, the unit requested their personnel be transported home on four flights, departing theatre on 14, 17, 19 and 21 January 2011.
	However, due to aircraft serviceability and availability issues, the flights departed Afghanistan on 15, 18, 20 and 22 January 2011 respectively. Any delays to the airbridge are regrettable, but we must recognise the difficult circumstances in which it operates, transporting large volumes of personnel, equipment and supplies in hazardous conditions.

Army: Manpower

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many potential army recruits were referred from army selection centres to Cardiac Report Ltd in each of the last five years; what the cost to the public purse was of the contract with Cardiac Report Ltd in each such year; and how many of those recruits who were referred were subsequently declared fit following their visit to the company.

Andrew Robathan: Cardiac Report Ltd provides specialist pre-employment screening services for the Army. Any Army applicants identified with having a possible cardiac abnormality at Army development and selection centres are referred for detection and evaluation.
	The numbers of potential Army recruits referred by Army development and selection centres to Cardiac Report Ltd and those whose screenings were found to be normal for cardiac abnormalities over the past five calendar years are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Number 
			  Applicants s  een Normal screenings 
			 2006 1,198 1,048 
			 2007 1,757 1,556 
			 2008 1,749 1,592 
			 2009 2,049 1,876 
			 2010 1,292 1,198 
		
	
	Figures for those whose results were found to be normal after screening have been provided rather than those who have subsequently been declared medically fit for Army service. Applicants may be found to have other problems which preclude enlistment and it would take a considerable amount of work to cross check every record to see how they fared overall and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The cost of the contract with Cardiac Report Ltd over the past five financial years rounded to the nearest pound is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Cost (£) 
			 2006-07 524,629 
			 2007-08 936,707 
			 2008-09 1,051,430 
			 2009-10 1,149,533 
			 2010-11 697,743 
		
	
	The overall cost to the public purse over the last five years has been £4,360,042.

Falkland Islands

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have visited or contacted their counterpart in (i) the Falkland Islands and (ii) countries of South America since May 2010.

Nick Harvey: Between May 2010 and 1 June 2011, the following visits to South America and the Falkland Islands were undertaken by Ministers and officials from the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
	The Minister for International Security Strategy (Mr Howarth) visited Brazil in September 2010 and in April 2011.
	The Chief of the Navy Staff visited Chile in September 2010.
	The Chief of the Air Staff visited Brazil in March 2011.
	The Commander in Chief Air Command visited Chile and the Falkland Islands in March 2011.
	In addition to these visits, there is constant formal and informal contact between MOD officials at all levels with their South American counterparts. Details of this contact is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Routine contacts between the United Kingdom and South American nations are conducted through the United Kingdom Defence Attaché posts in Argentina (with non-resident accreditation to Uruguay), Brazil, Chile and Colombia (with non-resident accreditation to Peru). Moreover, regular contact is undertaken with the Defence Attaches from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela who are based in London.
	There is, of course, constant communication between the Falkland Islands Government and the staff of Headquarters British Forces South Atlantic Islands which is based at Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of military operations in Libya to date.

Liam Fox: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 May 2011, Official Report, column 1208W.

Military Decorations

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received in favour of recommending the award of a National Defence Medal.

Andrew Robathan: To date the Ministry of Defence has received approximately 260 representations from Members of Parliament and the public in support of the institution of a National Defence Medal.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Government Departments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprentices there are in each Government Department.

John Hayes: The latest available data collected by Government Skills cover apprenticeship starts during the period April 2010 to March 2011. During this period there were a total of 2,120 apprenticeship starts within Government Departments.

Energy: Housing

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the potential size of the market for securities backed by Green Deal receivables.

Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply.
	Detail on the potential market for Green Deal installations is set out in our impact assessment on the Department's website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/legislation/energybill/1002 -energy-bill-2011-ia-green-deal.pdf
	Green Deal is a market-led product, so delivery will ultimately depend on sign-up by Green Deal providers and customers.
	The Department has been engaging closely with the finance and investment community regarding the provision of finance for Green Deal. Our engagement to date has suggested that the issue of securities backed by Green Deal payments may be one means of keeping the cost of finance low. Investors have told us that Green Deal backed securities, if created, would be, in principle, an attractive proposition which would increase diversity in the market for this type of investment.

Higher Education: Brighton

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of schools in Brighton and Hove council area sent at least one pupil to the university of (a) Oxford and (b) Cambridge in each of the last 13 years.

David Willetts: The information is in the following table and is provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
	
		
			 Schools in Brighton and Hove with Applicants accepted to full-time undergraduate courses at Oxford university or university of Cambridge via UCAS 
			  Oxford university University of Cambridge 
			 Year of entry Number of schools with acceptances Percentage of schools with acceptances Number of schools with acceptances Percentage of schools with acceptances 
			 2001 5 56 4 44 
			 2002 3 33 5 56 
			 2003 3 33 5 56 
			 2004 4 40 7 70 
			 2005 2 20 4 40 
			 2006 5 33 4 27 
			 2007 4 36 6 55 
			 2008 5 42 5 42 
			 2009 6 46 5 38 
			 2010 4 31 5 38 
			 Source: UCAS 
		
	
	Schools have been identified as those with a postcode in the Brighton and Hove local authority. The figures cover schools classed by UCAS as comprehensive, grammar, independent and other secondary schools in England. Other kinds of centres have not contributed to this analysis. Only schools from which UCAS received applications in the cycle concerned have contributed to the proportion calculation. Figures do not account for students accepted to Oxford or Cambridge who applied directly, rather than via UCAS.
	Detailed data on applications via secondary schools are only available from 2001. Data for earlier years have not been provided as the necessary reference data are not available.

Higher Education: Hastings

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of schools in Hastings and Rye constituency sent at least one pupil to the university of (a) Oxford and (b) Cambridge in each of the last 13 years.

David Willetts: The information is in the following table and is provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
	
		
			 Schools in Hastings and Rye with applicants accepted to full-time undergraduate courses at Oxford   u  niversity or   u  niversity of Cambridge via UCAS 
			  Oxford   u  niversity u  niversity of Cambridge 
			 Year of entry Number of schools with acceptances Percentage   of schools with acceptances Number of schools with acceptances Percentage   of schools with acceptances 
			 2001 0 0 1 14 
			 2002 1 14 1 14 
		
	
	
		
			 2003 2 29 1 14 
			 2004 0 0 0 0 
			 2005 1 17 0 0 
			 2006 0 0 0 0 
			 2007 1 20 1 20 
			 2008 1 17 0 0 
			 2009 0 0 1 14 
			 2010 0 0 0 0 
			 Source: UCAS 
		
	
	Schools have been identified as those with a postcode in the Hastings and Rye constituency. The figures cover schools classed by UCAS as comprehensive, grammar, independent and other secondary schools in England. Other kinds of centres have not contributed to this analysis. Only schools from which UCAS received applications in the cycle concerned have contributed to the proportion calculation. Figures do not account for students accepted to Oxford or Cambridge who applied directly, rather than via UCAS.
	Detailed data on applications via secondary schools are only available from 2001. Data for earlier years have not been provided as the necessary reference data are not available.

Higher Education: Sunderland

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in Sunderland central constituency applied to attend university in academic year (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and how many such applicants were successful.

David Willetts: The information is in the following table and has been provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
	Applicants who were not accepted for entry will include: individuals who did not receive any offer; individuals who received an offer (conditional or unconditional) but decided not to go to university; individuals who received a ‘conditional’ offer and failed to meet the specific conditions (e.g. they did not achieve certain grades); and individuals who decided to withdraw from the UCAS system.
	
		
			 Applicants and accepted applicants to full-time undergraduate courses at UK institutions from Sunderland   c  entral constituency, 2009/10 and 2010/11 
			  Applicants Accepted applicants 
			 2009/10 800 605 
			 2010/11 945 677 
			 Note: Figures do not include applicants to higher education who do not apply through UCAS (i.e. people who apply directly to institutions). Source: UCAS.

Insolvency

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the (a) governance of the Insolvency Service and (b) practices of insolvency administrators; and if he will take steps to improve the service offered by the Insolvency Service to businesses.

Edward Davey: I am not aware that my Department has received any recent representations on the governance of the Insolvency Service or the practices of its insolvency administrators (official receivers).
	The Insolvency Service continuously strives to improve its services to businesses and conducts extensive discussions with its key stakeholders to achieve this. The service is also subject to my Department's rolling internal audit programme.

Intellectual Property

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the implementation of the recommendation of the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property on a limited private copying exception for format shifting for certain works.

Edward Davey: holding answer 10 June 2011
	The Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth, which was published in May, recommended that Government realise all opportunities within the EU framework for exceptions to copyright infringement. This included a recommendation to introduce a private copying exception to allow format shifting, similar to the recommendation of the Gowers Review. The Government are currently considering their response to the review, and will outline their approach to copyright exceptions as part of this.

Intellectual Property

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to bring forward legislation on orphan works.

Edward Davey: The Hargreaves Review of IP and Growth published on 18 May made recommendations as to what it is required to deliver an effective orphan works solution. The European Commission also published on 24 May a draft directive to deliver an EU-wide orphan works solution. The Government are currently considering both of these documents and will outline the next steps to be taken as part of the Government response to the Hargreaves report.

Intellectual Property

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has considered the merits of implementing the recommendation of the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property to introduce an exception to copyright for the purpose of caricature, parody or pastiche.

Edward Davey: The Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth, which was published in May, recommended that Government realise all opportunities within the EU framework for exceptions to copyright infringement. This included a recommendation to introduce an exception for parody, caricature or pastiche, similar to the recommendation of the Gowers review. The Government are currently considering their response to the review, and will outline their approach to copyright exceptions as part of this.

Intellectual Property: Distance Learning

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the implementation of the recommendation of the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property on amending sections 35 and 36 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 in relation to distance learning and interactive whiteboards.

Edward Davey: holding answer 10 June 2011
	The Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth, which was published in May, recommended that Government realise all opportunities within the EU framework for exceptions to copyright infringement. This could include exceptions for educational use, such as those recommended by the Gowers Review, as well as other uses of copyright materials. The Government are currently considering their response to the review, and will outline their approach to copyright exceptions as part of this.

Luke Molnar

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to respond to the report of 16 March 2011 from HM Coroner for Greater Manchester South under Rule 43 of the Coroners (Amendment) Rules 2008 relating to the death of Luke John Molnar and the regulation of companies offering foreign expeditions.

Edward Davey: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), responded to HM Coroner for Greater Manchester South on 17 May 2011.

Members: Correspondence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mrs Moon) of 18 March 2011, reference MM/JH/18/03/2011.

Edward Davey: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills replied, on 30 November 2010, to the 23 November 2010 letter which the hon. Member for Bridgend included in her letter of 18 March 2011.

No. 1 Hamm Strasse

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will direct his Department to initiate an investigation into the conduct of the directors of No. 1 Hamm Strasse Ltd in relation to its entry into administration.

Edward Davey: The administrators of No. 1 Hamm Strasse Ltd were appointed on 1 February 2011 and they are required to report on the conduct of the directors under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 by 1 August 2011 on whether or not in their opinion the conduct of the directors makes them unfit to be concerned in the management of a company. They have not yet reported to the Insolvency Service.
	When the report is received, the Insolvency Service, on behalf of the Secretary of State, will consider whether any reported matters warrant further investigation and has a discretionary power to seek a director(s) disqualification where it is believed to be in the public interest.

Overseas Students: English Language

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from universities on the effects of the UK Border Agency's new English language requirements on students who have already been offered places for the next academic year; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: I have received representations from a number of vice-chancellors about the difficulties universities are experiencing with the implementation of the new English language requirements and I am also in close contact with Professor Steve Smith, President of Universities UK. I have discussed the universities' concerns with the Minister for Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green), and he has meanwhile met a group of university representatives to clarify the new requirements.

Regional Development Agencies: Assets

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made on the effect on growth of the sale of regional development agency assets; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 8 June 2011
	Government outlined last year in their Local Growth White Paper how they plan to achieve growth in the regions. The White Paper set out clear principles which Government and regional development agencies (RDAs) are using to decide the final destination and ownership of RDA assets. RDAs submitted their asset and liabilities plans to Government for approval on 31 January 2011. These plans have been drawn up and assessed, against the principle of achieving the best possible outcome for their regions consistent with achieving value for the public purse.

Students: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2011, Official Report, column 717W, on students: finance, what budget his Department allocated to advertisements on (a) radio, (b) television, (c) online and (d) other media to communicate student finance arrangements for each year from 1999-2000 to 2010-11.

David Willetts: The table provides a breakdown of expenditure for (a) radio, (b) television, (c) online and (d) other media committed by the Department to communicating student finance arrangements. The table includes a similar breakdown for expenditure undertaken by the Student Loans Company (SLC). Records are only required to be kept for seven years: thus these figures are not available before 2002/03.
	Communications expenditure incurred against activity other than radio, television or online advertising is accounted for within the ‘other media’ column, which includes items such as PR, press advertisements, events, booklets, leaflets, posters, DVDs, research and evaluation.
	To date the Department has allocated £1.475 million to the recently launched information campaign aimed at potential students considering entering university from September 2012. This allocation has been accounted for against the 2011-12 financial year and therefore is not accounted for in the table.
	Expenditure by media covering the financial years 1999-2010 was as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year (a) Radio (b)TV (c) Digital (d) Other media 
			 2002-03     
			 BIS — 623,000 — 1,402,000 
			 SLC — — — — 
			      
			 2003-04     
			 BIS 387,000 2,172,000 145,000 1,295,000 
			 SLC — — — — 
			      
			 2004-05     
			 BIS 684,000  202,000 1,113,000 
			 SLC — — — 280,598 
			      
			 2005-06     
			 BIS 460,000 1,400,000 198,000 2,442,000 
			 SLC — — — 1,483,900 
			      
			 2006-07     
			 BIS 626,000 1,753,000 355,000 1,365,000 
			 SLC — — — 1,097,092 
			      
			 2007-08     
			 BIS 598,000 1,198,000 421,000 2,283,000 
			 SLC — — 10,000 3,278,351 
			      
			 2008-09     
			 BIS 432,000 1,225,000 239,000 2,104,000 
			 SLC — — 18,000 2,833,560 
			      
			 2009-10     
			 BIS —  — 60,000 
			 SLC 200,000 — — 5,063,030 
			      
			 2010-11     
			 BIS — — — — 
			 SLC — — 28,000 1,622,243

Supermarkets: Competition

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the operation of the Grocery Supply Chain Code of Practice; and what assessment he has made of the risk to UK horticulture industry of comparative pricing competition arising from surplus stocks from the EU and Spain following the recent e-coli outbreak in Germany.

Edward Davey: None. On 24 May 2011 the Government published a draft Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill, starting the parliamentary procedure for enacting the Groceries Code Adjudicator.

Trade Unions

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has provided to (a) the National Union of Teachers, (b) the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, (c) the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, (d) the National Association of Head Teachers and (e) schemes run by those organisations in each year since 1997.

Edward Davey: Since 2003, the Department and its predecessors have made the following payments:
	
		
			 (a) National Union of Teachers 
			  £ 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 7,377 
			 2007 32,283 
			 2008 44,603 
			 2009 44,655 
			 2010 17,882 
			 2011 0 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers 
			  £ 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 0 
			 2008 0 
			 2009 19,185 
			 2010 16,466 
			 2011 3,200 
		
	
	
		
			 (c) Association of Teachers and Lecturers 
			  £ 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 0 
			 2008 17,932 
			 2009 28,858 
			 2010 32,983 
			 2011 0 
		
	
	(d) National Association of Head Teachers
	No payments have been made.
	(e) Schemes run by the above organisations
	No payments have been made.
	Payment information prior to 2003 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Churches: Repairs and Maintenance

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church Commissioners will ask the Secretary of State for Justice to introduce legislative proposals to amend the law in respect of liability for repair of church chancels.

Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners have no plans to request the Secretary of State for Justice introduce legislative proposals amending the law for the repair of church chancels.
	The Church Commissioners are responsible in whole or in part for the repair of around 800 chancels across all parts of the country. The Commissioners are seeking to register their liabilities based upon their existing ownership of land by 13 October 2013 in accordance with the provisions of the Land Registration Act 2002. After that date, liabilities based on land that are not registered as overriding interests will cease on the first sale of the subject land post-October 2013.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on opportunities to support biogas energy as part of the European Commission's proposals for the greening of Pillar One of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), is in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), on a number of issues including the Common Agricultural Policy.

Carbon Emissions

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on measures to address carbon leakage in energy-intensive industries.

Gregory Barker: The best way to address carbon leakage is a legally binding international climate agreement. In the interim, the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) directive provides for the free allocation of allowances to sectors deemed at risk. We support the proportionate free allocation of allowances to sectors at risk.
	The EU ETS directive also allows member states to compensate sectors at risk of carbon leakage as a result of the indirect costs of the EU ETS (i.e. increases in electricity prices arising from the EU ETS) subject to a revision of the state aid guidelines. The Government recently responded to the Commission consultation on changes to the guidelines. We will take a decision on whether the UK will offer compensation once the Commission has published the revised state aid guidelines.

Carbon Emissions

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with devolved Ministers in Northern Ireland in relation to the introduction of a carbon price floor.

Gregory Barker: There have been regular discussions at ministerial and official level between the Department and the Northern Ireland Executive on a range of issues, including Electricity Market Reform (EMR). The carbon price floor is part of the EMR package. Northern Ireland Executive officials sit on the EMR Steering Board.

Carbon Emissions

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to introduce measures to protect energy-intensive industries from the effects of carbon price support.

Gregory Barker: As set out in the recent Fourth Carbon Budget statement on 17 May 2011, Official Report, column 176, the Government will announce by the end of the year a package of measures for the energy intensive industrial sector whose international competitiveness is most affected by UK energy and climate change policies. This will focus on reducing the impact of Government policy on the cost of electricity for those businesses which are critical to our growth agenda.

Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will discuss with industry representatives any further proposed changes to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Gregory Barker: The Department is currently considering responses to the stakeholder dialogue earlier this year on simplification of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. We will announce initial conclusions once we have assessed all the responses received.

Climate Change: Disclosure of Information

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the UK delegation voted against the decision on confidentiality of draft reports taken at the 33rd session of the Independent Panel on Climate Change.

Gregory Barker: The decision on confidentiality at the 33rd session was agreed by consensus; a vote was not required.
	The UK considers that this IPCC Decision is in line with current IPCC practices for reviewing emerging reports, which seek to balance the need for openness and transparency of the assessment process with the risks of undermining the review process, or misleading the public, by openly exposing draft reports prematurely.
	Conscious of the value of further developing transparency and openness, the UK urged the panel to consider ways to widen expert comments in the development of reports. The panel agreed that this would be taken forward as part of the ongoing work of the Task Group on Processes and Procedures.

Climate Change: Disclosure of Information

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of proposal documents presented to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that informed the decision on confidentiality of draft reports taken at the 33rd Session of the IPCC.

Gregory Barker: The documents that were available to IPCC Members of relevance to this decision are publicly available on the IPCC website at the addresses below. These include comments from parties and office holders on an early set of draft proposals for changes to procedures and the final set of draft proposals that were considered at Plenary.
	http://www.ipcc.ch/meetings/session33/inf01_p33_review_ report_tg_comments_gov.pdf
	http://www.ipcc.ch/meetings/session33/doc12_p33_review_tg _proposal_procedures.pdf

Electricity

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that his proposals for electricity market reform support (a) non-domestic and (b) industrial energy efficiency measures.

Charles Hendry: The UK has a range of policies already in place or in development that support energy efficiency measures in the non-domestic and industrial sectors, including the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme, Climate Change Agreements and the Green Deal, which will be available to commercial as well as domestic customers.
	A new Office for National Energy Efficiency will be established in DECC to drive forward a step change in energy efficiency across domestic and non-domestic sectors. The new office is expected to be operational by the autumn.
	DECC is currently developing a White Paper which will set out proposals for Electricity Market Reform (EMR). We recognise that demand-side measures have an important contribution to make in supporting the transition to a low-carbon generating mix and ensuring security of supply. We are considering views raised in response to the EMR consultation on demand-side issues in development of the White Paper.

Electricity

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has undertaken any analysis of the role of distributed energy from sites greater than 5MW in capacity as part of the Electricity Market Reform project.

Charles Hendry: We consulted on Electricity Market Reform in December 2010. We are currently developing the White Paper which will set out our proposals. We recognise the importance of generation and supply at all scales in order to meet our long-term objectives for decarbonising electricity generation, ensuring security of supply and managing increasing demand for electricity. This includes consideration of the role of distributed energy.

Electricity

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he proposes any measures to increase the uptake of distributed energy from sites of up to 50MW; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Yes. The Department will be publishing its Microgeneration Strategy, which also covers community-scale energy, later this month. This will be in the form of an action plan for tackling barriers to the deployment of small-scale, distributed energy of all types.
	For distributed electricity, we consulted on Electricity Market Reform in December 2010. Many respondents stressed the need to ensure that changes we make to the electricity system reflect the importance of electricity supply at all scales of the energy market, including distributed generation. As well as the primary challenge of ensuring sufficient investment and development in the large scale electricity generating capacity, we are also determined to ensure there is liquidity at all scales of the market and to address the issue of barriers to entry for small scale and independent generators.
	For combined heat and power (CHP), DECC and Treasury officials are currently working with the industry on assessing suitable rates of relief from the carbon price floor.
	Appropriate support for renewable CHP is currently being considered within the context of the banding review of the renewables obligation and work to develop the second phase of the renewable heat incentive, which will also support domestic renewable heat installations.

Electricity

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has any plans to undertake further analysis of the role that demand side measures could play as part of the UK’s electricity system.

Charles Hendry: The Government are committed to encouraging and incentivising energy efficiency within the home, and in the public and private sectors, and has a range of policies in place to achieve this including current measures such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Community Energy Saving Programmes (CESP), and future measures such as the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
	DECC is currently developing a White Paper which will set out proposals for Electricity Market Reform (EMR). We recognise that demand-side measures have an important contribution to make in supporting the transition to a low-carbon generating mix and ensuring security of supply. We are considering views raised in response to the EMR consultation on demand-side issues in development of the White Paper.

Energy Saving Trust

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to ensure that the Energy Saving Trust continues to make available to the general public resources funded from the public purse when it becomes a social enterprise.

Gregory Barker: EST will cease to receive core grant funding from DECC at the end of this financial year. EST are an independent body, but we would expect them, alongside others, to bid for the energy efficiency contracts that DECC will put out to competitive tender in the future.

Energy: EC Countries

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on the level of financial support for expansion of the Trans-European Energy Network.

Charles Hendry: I have discussed the new EU legislation on energy infrastructure, expected this autumn, with the Commission on a number of occasions.
	The Trans-European Energy Network programme (TEN-E), which the new legislation will replace, has a small budget and provides modest early-stage funding to those electricity and gas projects which are considered important for EU energy security and market integration. The Government's view is that infrastructure investment should be primarily financed by the private sector and driven by commercial considerations. However, we acknowledge that there could be instances where market failures might justify the award of limited public funding for priority projects. It will, however, be important to ensure that criteria are agreed governing the award of any such funding so that it is properly targeted and does not displace commercial financing.

Energy: Private Rented Housing

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with representatives from the private rented sector on proposals in the Energy Bill for the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: The Department has begun a productive dialogue with representatives from the private rented sector, which we will continue up to and post the launch of the Green Deal in 2012. The sector is also represented on one of the four key industry-led forums for the Green Deal.
	Additionally, the Department has commissioned a piece of qualitative research considering domestic and non-domestic tenants' and landlords' reactions to the Green Deal. Findings from the work will be available in autumn 2011 in DECC's consultation paper on the Green Deal.

Energy: Private Rented Housing

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with representatives from tenants’ organisations regarding the proposals in the Energy Bill for the Green Deal to be applied to private rented accommodation.

Gregory Barker: We want the Green Deal to be an attractive offer to landlords and tenants alike. To this end, organisations representing tenants are feeding into one of the Government's four key industry-led forums for the Green Deal.

Energy: Training

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has met representatives of (a) the nuclear industry and (b) the offshore wind industry to discuss the adequacy of skills provision to each industry since his appointment.

Charles Hendry: I regularly meet with representatives of the nuclear and offshore wind industries to discuss a wide range of issues including skills. In particular, I attended a dinner with the National Skills Academy for Nuclear and employers from across the nuclear sector to discuss the importance of skills to them and what they are collectively doing through the academy to ensure that the work force is appropriately trained for the nuclear industry.

Longannet Power Station

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to announce the result of the bidding process for Longannet Power Station to develop carbon capture storage.

Gregory Barker: Negotiations with the Scottish Power consortium on the UK's first carbon capture and storage demonstration project are ongoing, with contract signature expected before the end of 2011.

Microgeneration

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has set a timetable for the inclusion of life cycle analysis disclosure in respect of domestic microgeneration installations as a requirement of qualification for (a) feed-in tariffs and (b) the renewable heat incentive.

Gregory Barker: Life cycle analysis is currently not reflected in the eligibility criteria for the feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme. However, all aspects of the scheme including eligibility for FITs, are under consideration as part of the comprehensive review of the scheme this year.
	We are currently considering the eligibility criteria for the renewable heat incentive. No final decisions have yet been taken and the criteria will be published for consultation at the end of the year. Details of the Renewable Heat Premium Payments scheme, including its eligibility criteria, will be set out shortly.

Renewable Energy

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the target for renewable energy to supply 10 per cent. of UK electricity in 2010 was met.

Charles Hendry: Provisional figures for 2010 indicate that the percent of renewable electricity, as calculated on the basis specified by the 2001 Renewables Directive, was 7.2% in 2010.
	The coalition Government are introducing a range of measures to encourage investment in renewables and the UK is on track to meet the 2011-12 interim target under the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive.

Renewable Energy

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on support for large-scale renewable energy installations.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), wrote to the Energy and Environment Commissioners at the end of last year to ask them to give greater clarity to investors on the application of environmental protection legislation to large-scale renewable energy projects. Officials from DECC and DEFRA met Commission officials for discussions on this issue at the end of February.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to compensate organisations which did not apply for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in cases of inaccurate advice given by the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment about eligibility for payments under the feed-in tariff.

Gregory Barker: The Department cannot take responsibility for decisions taken by individuals or organisations about whether or not to apply for a public grant. This is a matter for the individuals and organisations concerned to consider on the basis of the available information, and bearing in mind the potential implications for eligibility for feed-in tariffs (FITs).
	FITs are intended to replace, not supplement, public grant schemes as the principal means of incentivising small-scale low-carbon electricity generation. Advice from my Department has consistently made this clear. It has also consistently provided the most up to date information on exceptions to the general preclusion of FITs and grants in combination, and acknowledged uncertainty where that existed. For example, we provided clear advice at the start of the scheme that the European Commission's state aid decision on FITs would be relevant but that this was still pending.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost to energy consumers of the feed-in-tariff scheme in each of the next five years following the implementation of proposed changes to tariff levels.

Gregory Barker: One of the primary objectives of the current review of feed-in tariffs is to ensure that the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme does not cost more to consumers than the amount set in last year's spending review (i.e. around £900 million over the period 2010-11 to 2014-15 in nominal undiscounted prices). This includes a saving of £40 million (around 10%) in 2014-15 compared with original projections carried out before the start of the scheme. It also represents a significant further saving compared with our estimation of likely spend in the absence of a review this year.
	The spending review envelope for each year is shown in the following table. It is important to note that each year's figure includes the ongoing cost associated with installations commissioned in previous years.
	
		
			  Envelope (£ million) 
			 2011-12 80 
			 2012-13 161 
			 2013-14 269 
			 2014-15 357

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the cost to energy consumers of the feed-in tariff scheme in 2020 if (a) no changes were made to the scheme announced in February 2010 and (b) the proposed changes to tariff levels are implemented.

Gregory Barker: Analysis undertaken for the Impact Assessment accompanying the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) fast track review consultation estimated that the cost to energy consumers of the FITs scheme in 2020 could be £700 million to £800 million higher under unchanged tariffs compared to costs under the proposed fast track tariffs for large solar PV and farm-scale AD (in 2011 prices, discounted).

Renewable Energy: Finance

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on steps to reduce the cost of capital for developing renewables.

Gregory Barker: DECC consistently promotes a market-based, predictable and stable regulatory regime at the EU level as a crucial means to help reduce cost of capital and incentivise the significant amounts of private sector investment in renewables which is necessary to achieve the EU’s 2020 targets.

Renewable Energy: Technology

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what support his Department is providing to the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan.

Gregory Barker: The Department takes an active part in the development of the EU's Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. The UK has an interest in the whole range of European industrial initiatives launched or planned so far, as well as much of the activity under the European Energy Research Alliance. We have been developing a UK stakeholder network to promote and encourage SET Plan engagement. Through this network, UK interest groups have been, or are being, formed.

Renewable Energy: Technology

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has made to the President of the European Commission on the proposal to allocate funding for research and development into renewable energy technologies from the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

Gregory Barker: The UK Government supports a significant reprioritisation within the next Financial Perspective of the EU Budget to support the EU's long term priorities, including innovation, energy, and climate change. The Government's position paper on the Commission's proposal for a Common Strategic Framework for EU research and innovation funding from 2014 argued that the Strategic Energy Technologies Plan should receive an increased share of a smaller EU Budget. However, DECC Ministers have made no separate representations to the President of the European Commission on this specific proposal.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Departmental Billing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many invoices her Department received in respect of goods or services supplied by tier 1 suppliers between 1 May 2010 and 1 April 2011; and how many of those invoices were not paid within the period of time specified in the Government’s Fair Payment guidance.

Theresa May: Between 1 May 2010 and 1 April 2011, the Government Equalities Office did not receive any invoices from tier 1 suppliers.

Departmental Billing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what mechanism her Department has established to ensure its payments are passed through the supply chain to each tier in accordance with the last date for payment defined in the Government’s Fair Payment guidance.

Theresa May: The Office of Government Commerce’s guide to best “Fair payment” practices sets out fair payment processes for construction projects. The Government Equalities Office does not have any construction projects.

WALES

Departmental Procurement

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how many contracts her Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is;
	(2)  how many contracts her Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is;
	(3)  how many contracts her Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

David Jones: None.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 26 July 2010, Official Report, column 719W, on the electoral register, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the merits of informing hon. Members of the key performance indicators for electoral registration offices for their constituency on an annual basis.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission writes to all hon. Members on publication of its annual assessment of the performance of electoral registration officers (EROs). This includes details of the performance framework and directs Members to information on its website, where they can review the individual performance of each local authority in Great Britain.
	In addition to this, for the most recent assessment in April 2011, the Commission specifically wrote to hon. Members whose EROs have failed to meet at least one standard in each of the three years that the Commission has been reporting on performance.
	The Commission is working closely with these EROs in order to improve their performance and has asked them to report again by the end of June 2011, providing evidence to show how they have now met the standard. The Commission will publish a further report into their performance in the summer.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 26 July 2010, Official Report, columns 719-20W, on the electoral register, what steps the Electoral Commission has taken to monitor the training and performance of electoral registration officers.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission implemented a performance standards framework in 2008 which monitors the overall performance of electoral registration officers (EROs). One of these standards assesses the training undertaken by EROs.
	The results of the annual assessment of both the training and performance of EROs can be found on the Electoral Commission's website. The Commission is working closely with EROs that have under-performed and has asked them to report again by the end of June 2011, providing evidence to show how they have now met the standard. The Commission will publish a further report into their performance in the summer.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many (a) written and (b) oral representations the Electoral Commission has received on electoral registration matters from hon. Members from (i) Labour, (ii) Conservative, (iii) Liberal Democrat, (iv) Plaid Cymru, (v) Northern Ireland political parties and (vi) other political parties in each of the last five years.

Gary Streeter: Electoral Commission records show that a number of representations, including oral and written parliamentary questions and letters, have been received from hon. Members on electoral registration matters. The figures for the past five full years are detailed in the following tables.
	
		
			 Oral representations 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total 
			 Conservative 3 0 1 1 2 7 
			 Labour 0 2 1 0 2 5 
			 Liberal Democrats 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Total 3 2 3 1 4 13 
		
	
	
		
			 Written   representations 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total 
			 Conservative 5 3 7 5 0 20 
			 Labour 0 1 2 2 16 21 
			 Liberal Democrats 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Total 5 5 9 7 16 42 
		
	
	Electoral Commission records show that no representations were received from Plaid Cymru or Northern Ireland political parties or other political parties on electoral registration matters in the last five years.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Internet

Priti Patel: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 15-16W, on security certificate, who was the registered purchaser who received the renewal; on what date IPSA became aware that the certificate required renewal; and for what reasons it took IPSA and Calyx from 20 April 2010 to 5 May 2011 to renew the certificate.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Scott Woolveridge, dated June 2011
	As acting Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 15-16W, on security certificate, who was the registered purchaser who received the renewal; on what date IPSA became aware that the certificate required renewal; and for what reasons it took IPSA and Calyx from 20 April 2010 to 5 May 2011 to renew the certificate.
	Our managed services provider, Calyx, has advised us that the original registered purchaser was a member of IPSA’s implementation project team. The individual’s identity has not been passed to IPSA by Calyx as the certificate was, erroneously, purchased in the individual’s personal capacity and not as an asset belonging to IPSA. IPSA therefore does not have a record of who the individual was.
	IPSA became aware on Wednesday, 20 April 2011 that the certificate had expired. We escalated a call to Calyx on the same day and work to rectify the situation was commenced.
	IPSA was advised that a verification telephone call would be received from the certificate authority on Tuesday, 3 May; the call was received on Wednesday, 4 May and the new certificate was released to Calyx on the same day. Downtime of the online expense system and installation of the certificate was planned and executed the following day, 5 May.
	Taking the Easter Bank Holidays, the Royal Wedding and May Bank Holiday into account, six working days passed between discovering the certificate had expired and the new certificate being installed.

Internet

Priti Patel: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 15-16W, on security certificate, on what date the risk assessment was carried out and completed; and if IPSA will place in the Library a copy of the report on that risk assessment.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Scott Woolveridge, dated June 2011
	As acting Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 15-16W, on security certificate, on what date the risk assessment was carried out and completed; and if the IPSA will place in the Library a copy of the report on that risk assessment. 57623
	The risk assessment and review was carried out by Calyx security staff on 20 April to ensure that IPSA’s security measures were not compromised as a result of the expiration of the certificate. The conclusions, which were that the risk was deemed to be low and that security levels were not diminished, were communicated to IPSA by telephone. No written report exists to place in the Library.

Members: Complaints

Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if he will publish the dates on which each of the 40 complaints to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Compliance Officer about hon. and right hon. Members was made.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the compliance officer for IPSA, who is statutorily independent of IPSA’s executive branch. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Luke March, dated June 2011
	As the Compliance Officer for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the dates on which each of the 40 complaints to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Compliance Officer about hon. and right hon. Members was made.
	I have to date issued 38 notices of preliminary investigations. Of these preliminary investigations, five are the result of a public complaint. The dates on which these complaints were received are as follows: 2 December 2010, 20 December 2010, 21 December 2010, 16 January 2011 and 9 February 2011.
	The 33 additional preliminary investigations resulted from work carried out by my office.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Human Trafficking: Children

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) children identified as victims of trafficking have been (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted of an offence in each of the last five years; and what the most common offence was in each such year.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has no records to ascertain how many people identified as a trafficked victim have been prosecuted or convicted for criminal offences in each of the last five years.
	The CPS records indicate the volume of offences, not defendants, prosecuted by the CPS under each Act and Section. The records do not distinguish between men, women or children or whether they might have been identified as a trafficked victim.

Human Trafficking: Children

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been of cases involving allegations of trafficking of children in each of the last five years.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has no records to identify how many prosecutions and convictions there have been of cases involving allegations of trafficking children in each of the last five years.
	The CPS records indicate the volume of offences, not defendants, prosecuted by the CPS under each Act and Section. The records do not distinguish between men, women or children who are the victims of trafficking in each case.

Prostitution: Arrests

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General how many people have been (a) arrested, (b) prosecuted and (c) convicted under the Policing and Crime Act 2009 for paying for sex with a prostitute who has been subjected to force in each year since its enactment.

Edward Garnier: Section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 created a new offence under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 of paying for the sexual services of a prostitute subjected to force, threats or other form of coercion by a third party. This offence came into effect on 1 April 2010. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records identify that 40 offences have been charged since its enactment. The CPS has no record of the number of arrests. The CPS case management system provides national data which relate only to the number of offences recorded in magistrates court and are not held by defendant or outcome.

Serious Fraud Office

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases have been reported to the Serious Fraud Office since 1 June 2010; how many of those received an initial assessment within (a) one and (b) three months; and how many took more than three months for an initial assessment.

Edward Garnier: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) receives reports about suspected fraud and corruption from many different sources including other law enforcement agencies; Government Departments, directly from companies or their legal advisors; Members of Parliament and from members of the public.
	95 reports were received between 1 June 2010 to date. 41 were not within the SFO's remit. The remaining 54 were examined in detail to consider whether a full investigation should be taken forward. Of these:
	12 were assessed within one month
	18 were assessed between one and three months
	24 assessments have taken longer than three months
	During the same period the SFO also received 1,797 e-mails and postal inquiries and 1,303 phone calls from members of the public concerning suspected fraud and corruption. 100% of these inquiries received a response within 20 days.
	The SFO considers all reports carefully to ensure that they meet its published acceptance criteria. Where they do not, the SFO passes the reports to the most appropriate organisation to consider further or tells the person reporting the matter where they should go for help.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Olympic Games 2012

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the merits of relaxing airspace restrictions for the London 2012 Olympics to take account of the requirements of private air fields, flight schools, leisure flight operators and other businesses which are within the exclusion zone.

Theresa Villiers: The aim of the planned temporary airspace restrictions is to enable aviation activities within the restricted zone to continue as far as possible, consistent with delivering our security objectives. The Government, along with the Civil Aviation Authority and NATS, are keen to work with those in the aviation community affected by the restrictions to ensure that the planned measures and their potential impacts are fully understood.
	We will consider whether certain adaptations to the planned restrictions might be feasible and consistent with the overarching security considerations, before finalising the measures later this year.

Aviation: Olympic Games 2012

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who advised his Department on the terms of the exclusion zone for flights during the London 2012 Olympics.

Theresa Villiers: The proposed temporary airspace restrictions have been developed by the Government, based on work undertaken by the Home Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Transport, with advice from the Civil Aviation Authority, NATS and others.

Bournemouth Airport

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he or his Department’s officials have to visit Bournemouth International airport in the next year.

Theresa Villiers: Transport Ministers and officials have no current plans to visit Bournemouth International airport in the next year.

Bus Services: Middlesbrough

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department contributed to the operation of local bus services in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year from May 2005 to April 2010; and how much it expects to contribute in each year from May 2010 to April 2015.

Norman Baker: Bus operators running local registered bus services in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency have been eligible to claim Bus Service Operators Grant from May 2005 to April 2010. Data relating to the amount claimed by operators in this constituency and paid by the Department are not available.
	The Department for Transport is providing £37.5 million for the Tees Valley Bus Network—a series of bus infrastructure improvements across the five Tees Valley authorities. Data relating to spend at a constituency level are not available.
	Middlesbrough council can run subsidised tendered local bus services where commercial routes are not viable. From 2005-06 to 2010-11, the Department for Transport paid Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG) to Middlesbrough council for the provision of additional local bus services to rural communities. Allocations at a constituency level are not available, however RBSG allocations to Middlesbrough council were as follows:
	2005-06: £18,437
	2006-07: £18,889
	2007-08: £19,341
	2008-09: £19,828
	2009-10: £20,350
	2010-11: £20,872.
	In line with the Government's drive to simplify local funding RBSG payments ended in 2010-11, with the funding transferred and included in the main Local Government Formula Grant administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government. As Formula Grant is an un-hypothecated block grant it is not possible to say how much Middlesbrough council receives or spends on a particular service, for example local tendered bus services.

Conwy Valley Railway Line

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess (a) the capacity of the Llanrwst passing loop on the Conwy Valley line and (b) the resource implications of increasing the capacity of the line.

Theresa Villiers: The operation of passenger rail services on the Conwy Valley line is a devolved matter for the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG).
	The Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has not been asked by WAG to assess the capacity of the route.

Conwy Valley Railway Line

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the maximum length of train is that can be held in the Llanrwst passing loop on the Conwy Valley line.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not have the information requested. Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network, has details of the asset. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his question.
	David Higgins
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	King’s Place
	90 York Way
	London
	N1 9AG.

Departmental Manpower

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to publish monthly information on changes in the numbers of his Department's employees categorised by (a) seniority, (b) voluntary redundancy, (c) natural wastage and (d) involuntary redundancy.

Norman Baker: The central Department collects information regarding staff headcount categorised by seniority on behalf of the Department and its agencies every month. The Department will commence publication of this information on a monthly basis as soon as it is practicable.

East Coast Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable he has set for the introduction of new electric and bi-mode intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line; and what plans he has for the future (a) continuity and (b) frequency of direct services to and from Doncaster on that line.

Theresa Villiers: The new electric and bi-mode intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line will be introduced from 2018. The future operating timetable of services to and from Doncaster will be finalised as part of the forthcoming Intercity East Coast franchise letting process, and the delivery of that timetable will be the responsibility of that franchisee.

East Coast Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the 100 new electric and bi-mode intercity trains are to operate on the east coast main line.

Theresa Villiers: 45 of the new trains are to operate on the east coast main line each day.

East Coast Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the introduction of new electric and bi-mode intercity trains on journey times between Doncaster and (a) London, (b) York, (c) Newcastle and (d) Edinburgh.

Theresa Villiers: Based on a candidate timetable, the introduction of new electric and bi-mode intercity trains on journey times between Doncaster and destinations could potentially enable reductions of journey times to:
	(a) London—around 10 minutes
	(b) York—less than five minutes
	(c) Newcastle—less than five minutes and
	(d) Edinburgh—over 20 minutes.
	The eventual timetable, journey times and stopping patterns following the introduction of the new trains will be the responsibility of the franchisee.

High Speed Two: Greatworth

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost to the public purse was of the High Speed 2 roadshow at Greatworth.

Philip Hammond: The cost for the Greatworth High Speed 2 roadshow venue was £220. The mobile exhibition vehicle is owned by HS2 Ltd. This cost does not reflect staff time attending the events which would be difficult to break down per venue.

London Gateway Port: Roads

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effects of London Gateway port on road infrastructure in South Essex.

Michael Penning: The impact of the traffic generated by the London Gateway port development on the road infrastructure in South Essex has been assessed in line with the normal planning process and the appropriate planning conditions applied. That assessment included the consideration of a staged development of London Gateway.

M25: Repairs and Maintenance

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of the proposed improvements to junction 30 of the M25.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State for Transport's statement, Investment in highways and local transport schemes, made clear that we will continue development work on options for M25 Junction 30 for potential construction in future spending review periods. There remains more work to be done to identify a solution for Junction 30 that is both affordable and cost effective and it would be premature to comment on the form that any scheme might take.

Public Transport

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future frequency and availability of public transport on (a) Sundays and (b) public holidays.

Norman Baker: On the railways, £220 million has been allocated for Control Period 4 (2009-14) for the seven day railway initiative to reduce disruption for passengers and freight users arising from engineering work at weekends and public holidays.
	As regards buses, the majority of services outside London are provided on a commercial basis. Provision on Sundays and public holidays is a matter for each operator's commercial judgment. Where needs are not being met by these services, it is for each local authority to assess whether they should subsidise provision. Within London, bus services are a matter for Transport for London.

Public Transport

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which official visits undertaken by his immediate predecessor involved the use of public transport.

Norman Baker: The Government are not accountable for the actions or decisions of their predecessor.

Railways: Electrification

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the electrification of commuter railway lines into Cardiff; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport is working with the Welsh Assembly Government to develop a business case for the electrification of the Cardiff Valley lines for consideration within the next rail investment control period beginning in 2014, and are engaged in discussions to that effect.

Railways: EU Action

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has made to the European Commission on the revision of the first railway package.

Theresa Villiers: Officials have participated in numerous working group meetings reviewing the draft directive under both the Belgian and the Hungarian EU presidencies. They have also had a number of informal meetings with the European Commission.

Railways: Snow and Ice

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice (a) his Department and (b) the Office of Rail Regulation offers to rail operators needing small quantities of salt during periods of high demand.

Norman Baker: The procurement and allocation of salt supplies to ensure the safe and effective operation of rail services is an operational matter for Network Rail and the train operators.

Railways: Theft

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the monetary value of cables stolen from the (a) West Coast Main Line and (b) national rail network in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted of an offence related to the theft of railway cables; what steps he is taking to ensure that those responsible for thefts of railway cables are apprehended; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not have an assessment of the value of cables stolen. Metal theft is a crime which hits the railway particularly hard and causes levels of disruption out of all proportion to the value of the material stolen. That is why the British Transport police (BTP), as the national police force for the railway, is in the forefront of efforts to tackle the problem, working with Network Rail, the train operators, other police forces, the scrap metal industry and others with an interest.
	Information relating to prosecutions and convictions relating to the theft of railway cables is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport police, who can be contacted at:
	British Transport Police
	25 Camden Road
	London
	NW1 9LN.
	E-mail:
	parliament@btp.pnn.police.uk

Road Traffic Act 1988

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects his Department's working party on potential changes to section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to complete its report.

Michael Penning: We are setting up a working group to review Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and expect to complete the assessment by the end of this year.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the merits of introducing incentives for local authorities to improve long-term (a) road safety and (b) value for money in repairs to roads damaged by potholes.

Norman Baker: holding answer 28 April 2011
	Local authorities have statutory duties related to road safety and highways maintenance under the Highways Act 1980, details of which can be found at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/66/contents
	These authorities have their own democratic mandate, and local people are able to hold them to account if they do not deliver, which gives them strong incentives to improve their value for money, efficiency and quality of their services.
	The Government's approach to local highway services is to encourage better local decision making and accountability, including through decentralising funding, removing “top-down” performance frameworks and supporting the provision of better public information.
	The Department for Transport recently launched the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme, backed with £6 million of government funding, to help local authorities make their road maintenance programmes as efficient and effective as possible.

Rolling Stock

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the reliability of (a) hybrid trains and (b) electric trains.

Theresa Villiers: In the recent appraisal of the Intercity Express Programme, the reliability of the two train types is expected to be similarly high. Both train types offer a substantial improvement in reliability when compared to the existing older stock, and the contractual structure of the IEP is designed to ensure that manufacturers and maintainers are heavily incentivised to provide a reliable service.

Transport: Volcanoes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effects on transportation of any future volcanic ash cloud.

Theresa Villiers: The Government's main priority is to ensure the safety of aircraft and air passengers. We are also working to improve agreed international procedures for mitigating the potential hazards caused by volcanic ash. Following the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in April 2010, the UK has taken a number of additional steps to minimise disruption to passengers and airlines.
	The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has worked closely with manufacturers and airlines to develop a better shared understanding of the ability of aircraft and their engines to tolerate volcanic ash. The CAA has issued revised guidance that enables airlines to operate in the medium and high ash concentration zones, provided an acceptable safety case exists.
	The Government are also supporting the provision of new radar cover in Iceland to obtain more accurate data in the event of a future eruption and also the establishment of a permanent civil contingency aircraft for use by the Met Office to conduct atmospheric testing.
	The impact of the Grimsvotn eruption in May 2011 was significantly less than last year's Eyjafjallajokull eruption. However, a number of further steps have been taken to address the lessons learned. The Government have established a Volcanic Ash Observations Group under the chairmanship of Sir John Beddington to look at ways of improving the input data for the Met Office volcanic ash dispersion model. In addition, the CAA has established a Volcanic Ash Advisory Group to improve the process for establishing high concentration danger zones.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Art Works: Morecambe

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding has been made available for public artwork in Morecambe under section 106 agreements in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: This information is not collected centrally. Section 106 agreements are contracts between developers and local authorities to make development acceptable in planning terms. It is important that information about planning obligations is made available to the general public. The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2010 requires that a copy of any planning obligation is kept on the council's planning register, which is available to the public.

Community Housing

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to support the community housing sector to deliver affordable housing;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to assist community-led housing schemes to gain access to development finance.

Grant Shapps: The Framework for the Affordable Homes Programme, jointly published by this Department and the Homes and Communities Agency, sets out a clear commitment to help community groups. The Homes and Communities Agency will ensure that the contract arrangements for community-led groups applying for funding for a single standalone project, and who have no existing stock to convert to affordable rent, are appropriate and proportionate to the risk involved. Funding has been held back to ensure that these bids can be accepted over the four-year process.

Community Housing

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he plans to produce for local authorities on the ways in which community housing can meet local housing need.

Grant Shapps: The Government consider that local authorities, working with their communities, are best placed to determine how to meet the housing needs of their communities. The Government will be consulting on the draft National Planning Policy Framework in July which will contain policy to delivery national objectives, for example on housing. This will provide the flexibility for local planning authorities to decide how they want to meet local housing needs.

Council Tax Benefits: Fraud

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reason he proposes to prohibit the investigation by local authorities of council tax benefit fraud.

Bob Neill: As the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), confirmed in his written ministerial statement of 17 February 2011, Official Report, column 92WS, this Department will consult in due course on proposals for localising support for council tax in England. This will include arrangements for investigating fraud.

Empty Property

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of empty homes.

Andrew Stunell: We are taking a number of measures to bring empty homes back into use, ensuring that the right incentives and tools are in place for local authorities to work with property owners.
	The ‘New Homes Bonus’ provides a strong financial incentive to local authorities to support the development of new housing, including bringing empty homes back into use. To help local councils and communities better identify the empty homes in their area and bring them back into use we have also launched the ‘Geographical Information System (GIS) Empty Homes Mapping Toolkit and the Empty Homes Knowledge Toolkit’.
	In addition, the Department has allocated £100 million through the ‘Affordable Homes Programme’ to help get empty homes back into productive use. The Homes and Communities Agency are considering expressions of interest which will help to inform the allocation of funding.

Enterprise Zones

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many expressions of interest in establishing an enterprise zone his Department has received from local enterprise partnerships to date.

Bob Neill: Budget announced that 11 local enterprise partnerships would be invited to come forward with proposals for enterprise zones.
	At the same time, Government invited expressions of interest for a second wave of enterprise zones. This resulted in 29 local enterprise partnerships (and prospective local enterprise partnerships) expressing an interest.

Fire Services: West Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the potential effect on fire safety of reductions to fire and rescue services in the west midlands.

Bob Neill: Decisions on the provision of fire services are taken by individual fire and rescue authorities as part of their integrated risk management planning process, which assesses and mitigates risks to local communities.
	No formal assessment of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority's local decisions has been made by central Government.
	I also refer the hon. Member to my letter of 6 December 2010 outlining how fire and rescue authorities can make sensible savings without impacting on the quality or breadth of services offered to their communities. The letter is available in the Library and on my Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/crsandfrsletter

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) location and (b) holding body is of the archived records of Government Procurement Card expenditure by the (i) Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions, (ii) Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, (iii) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and (iv) department known as the Deputy Prime Minister's Office which was in existence in 2006-07.

Bob Neill: The archived records of Government Procurement Card expenditure for the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are stored by TNT, the Department's external records storage provider, in their storage facility in West Thurrock on behalf of the Department.
	Concerning the Department known as the Deputy Prime Minister's Office which was in existence in 2006-07, these records are not held by the Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly known as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) but are held by the Cabinet Office.

Homelessness

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average cost to the public purse of a successful homelessness application in the latest period for which figures are available.

Grant Shapps: Local authorities incur costs when providing statutory assistance to homeless households as a result of the need to administer applications and secure temporary accommodation. Net current expenditure on homelessness administration by local authorities in England totalled £205 million in 2009-10. On top of this local authorities incurred costs of £40 million providing temporary accommodation. (DCLG, local authority revenue expenditure and financing statistics)
	In the same year 40,020 households were accepted as owed the main homelessness duty. At the end of March 2010, 51,310 households were in temporary accommodation. (DCLG, Live Tables 770 and 777)
	However, these two sets of figures cannot be used to accurately calculate the average cost of homeless acceptances to local authorities because they are not directly comparable. For instance, some expenditure on homelessness administration will have been incurred as a result of providing non-statutory assistance to households at risk of homelessness.
	Taxpayers also incur costs from statutory homelessness as a result of housing benefit expenditure on households living in temporary accommodation. Temporary accommodation is usually slightly more expensive in housing benefit terms than comparable private rented accommodation (reflecting higher management costs).
	However, not enough is known about the circumstances of households accepted as homeless or local market rental conditions to specify exactly how much more is spent on Housing Benefit as a result of statutory homelessness.
	References:
	DCLG, “Local authority revenue expenditure and financing statistics: 2009-10”,
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/revenueexpenditure/revenue200910/localauthoritydata/
	DCLG, “Live Tables on Homelessness”,
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/livetables/

Homes and Communities Agency: Apprentices

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the Homes and Communities Agency's removal of national targets for the delivery of apprenticeships on the numbers of apprenticeship places created through funding provided by the Agency; and if he will make statement;
	(2)  how many apprenticeship places were created through funding provided by the Homes and Communities Agency in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11.

Grant Shapps: While the Homes and Communities Agency does not have specific targets, all providers bidding for funding to the Agency's Affordable Homes programme are required to submit an Employment and Skills Statement. Encouraging providers to support delivery of new jobs in this way is in line with this Government's belief that delivery is best optimised by reducing bureaucratic burdens and top-down targets to free up local partners, the private and the voluntary sectors to drive growth and opportunity. As result of the Homes and Communities Agency's investment programme, around 2,700 apprenticeships were created or safeguarded in 2010-11. A break-down by year for 2009-10 is not available.

Housing: Construction

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of homes built in St Albans constituency were built on brownfield land in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: Information on the proportion of homes built on all previously-developed land, the proportion on previously residential land and the proportion on all previously-developed land excluding land that was previously residential in St Albans is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Proportion of new dwellings on built-on, previously-developed and previously-residential land, St Albans 
			  All previously-developed Previously-residential  (1) All previously developed land excluding previously residential 
			 1994-97 75 40 35 
			 1998-2001 92 24 68 
		
	
	
		
			 2001-05 94 31 63 
			 2006-09 98 37 61 
			 (1) Includes development on gardens and after demolition of dwellings. Source: Land Use Change Statistics 
		
	
	Information for local authorities is shown for four-year periods because of volatility in estimates for individual years.

Planning

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues to planning officers on (a) the scope of their discretion in considering material and non-material changes in the use of their delegated powers and (b) the exercise of any discretion to designate a change material or non-material.

Bob Neill: The Department published guidance in October 2010 on material and non-material amendments to planning permission. This document is called ‘Greater Flexibility for Planning Permissions: Guidance’ and can be found on the Department's website:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/greaterflexibilityguidance
	It advises that:
	“there is no statutory definition of [a] ‘non-material’ [amendment]. This is because it is so dependent on the context of the overall scheme—what may be non-material in one context may be material in another.”

Planning

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to design a simpler and more flexible plan-making process for communities.

Bob Neill: Through proposals in the Localism Bill we are removing unnecessary central Government involvement in local plans, abolishing regional strategies and increasing the accountability of councils to the public. The remainder of this plan-making process is set out in secondary legislation, policy and guidance all of which will be simplified as the Bill makes its way through Parliament to introduce further flexibility for councils and local communities.

Planning

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps (a) he and (b) his Department are taking to ensure that the experiences from the Neighbourhood Planning Front Runners initiative are used to inform future policy development.

Bob Neill: The Department has allocated at least one ‘link' officer to liaise closely with each of the 17 councils in the ‘first wave' of Neighbourhood Planning Front Runners. The insight gained by the link officers into the experiences of individual Front Runner projects will inform the development of regulations and guidance in respect of Neighbourhood Planning. We will issue a final report on the project in autumn 2012.

Planning

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he plans to issue to communities which wish to develop neighbourhood plans.

Bob Neill: We are working with the Neighbourhood Planning Front Runners and representative organisations on guidance that will help communities, local authorities and investors with neighbourhood planning.

Planning

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to provide support from property professionals to Neighbourhood Planning Front Runners;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Neighbourhood Planning Front Runners are able to gain access to appropriate expertise in the property profession.

Bob Neill: The Department has made available grants of £20,000 to each Neighbourhood Planning Front Runner. These grants may be spent in any way that the recipient council considers appropriate in connection with delivering its project and this may include procuring support from the property profession. In addition, the Department will shortly award grants totalling £3.2 million to four organisations to enable them to provide advice, guidance and other support to community groups and individuals wishing to engage with the planning system. That may include advice, guidance and other support derived from the property profession. We would encourage property professionals and others to engage positively with the Front Runner project by contacting the relevant councils.

Planning

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to communicate to investors the potential for (a) socially, (b) environmentally and (c) economically-sustainable development of community-led planning.

Bob Neill: The Government's “Plan for Growth” set out the actions we are taking to reform the planning system to ensure that it makes the right land available in the right place for development and that it will deliver commercial development, vital infrastructure and housing that the country needs.
	We have worked closely with the business sector to ensure that our neighbourhood planning proposals provide the opportunities that investors need to work with communities to bring forward neighbourhood development plans and orders. We will continue to work with them to ensure that investors can take advantage of the benefits neighbourhood planning will present.

Planning Permission

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions the Planning Inspectorate has overturned a decision to refuse planning permission made by planning authorities in (a) Reading borough, (b) West Berkshire and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: The following table shows the number of occasions the Planning Inspectorate has overturned a decision to refuse planning permission by planning authorities in Reading borough, West Berkshire and England as a whole.
	
		
			 Occasions Planning Inspectorate has overturned a decision to refuse planning permission 
			 Fiscal year England Reading West Berkshire 
			 2006-07 7,196 20 39 
			 2007-08 7,086 12 23 
			 2008-09 7,077 21 18 
			 2009-10 5,893 13 24 
			 2010-11 5,209 13 28

Private Rented Housing: Energy

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what evidence his Department has supplied to the Department for Energy and Climate Change on the potential effects on the private rented sector of the proposals in the Energy Bill for landlords and tenants.

Andrew Stunell: The Department for Communities and Local Government officials continue to work closely with Department for Energy and Climate Change colleagues on the Energy Bill and its potential effects on the private rented sector. Energy efficiency data from the English Housing Survey Headline Report 2009-10 have fed into this process and officials from both Departments have liaised on a piece of qualitative research considering domestic and non-domestic tenants' and landlords' reactions to the Energy Bill's Green Deal.

Shops: Planning

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of implementation of provisions in the Localism Bill on the ability of local communities to (a) secure sustainable and diverse high streets, (b) promote local influence on the range of shops and (c) provide local influence on the location of shops which are potentially harmful to that community.

Greg Clark: Under the provisions for neighbourhood planning within the Localism Bill, communities will be able to have a real say in the detailed planning of their area. Communities will be able to use neighbourhood plans to set policies for the development and use of land in their neighbourhoods, including setting out policies on retail provision within a neighbourhood area, subject to there being an appropriate fit with local and national policy. Within the constraints of the Use Classes Order, communities will be able to determine the uses to which new properties within high streets and elsewhere are put and to prevent certain changes of use for existing properties. Through the use of neighbourhood development orders, communities will be able to permit specified kinds of development in specified locations.
	The Bill also contains provisions to increase take-up of small business rate relief; to ensure that a supplementary business rate levy can only be introduced following support of local firms via a referendum; and to give councils new powers to introduce local business rate discounts. The provisions have the potential to support local shops.

Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues to the operators of each tenancy deposit protection scheme on the adjudication of disputes between tenants and landlords over tenancy deposits.

Grant Shapps: The three Tenancy Deposit Protection schemes are required to provide a free, impartial and evidence-based dispute resolution process in accordance with the legislation and the terms of our service concession agreement with them. We welcome the recently published guidance on the dispute resolution process which the three scheme providers produced to help landlords and tenants understand the process and to ensure consistency in adjudication decisions across the three schemes.

Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department takes to monitor the performance of the free adjudication services operated by the three tenancy deposit protection schemes.

Grant Shapps: The three Tenancy Deposit Protection scheme providers are required to submit monthly reports on key performance indicators, which cover the dispute resolution process, under the terms of their Service Concession Agreements with my Department. In addition, the Department holds quarterly monitoring meetings with each of the scheme providers at which any performance issues can be discussed.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Nationals Abroad: Ransom

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the payment of ransoms abroad by British companies or nationals.

Jeremy Browne: The Government have a long-standing policy of not making or facilitating substantive concessions to hostage-takers. We maintain this consistent policy because we believe that to make substantive concessions such as paying ransoms would reward the act of hostage-taking and encourage future kidnaps of British nationals. Although the payment of a ransom by a third party to a criminal gang is not illegal under UK law, the Government are firm that we do not, and will not, become involved in activity that could facilitate such a payment. Payment of a ransom to a United Nations designated terrorist group or individual would contravene the al-Qaeda and Taliban sanctions regime established by UN Security Resolution 1267 (1999).

Council of Ministers

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at how many meetings of the Council of Ministers the UK has been represented by the (a) Permanent Representative and (b) Deputy Permanent Representative since May 2010.

David Lidington: Either the Secretary of State or myself has represented the UK at every Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and General Affairs Council (GAC) since May 2010, with one exception. The Permanent Representative represented the UK at the General Affairs Council (GAC) on 13 April 2011.
	For information on UK representation at other Council of Ministers meetings, I refer my hon. Friend to the relevant Departments.

Diplomatic Service

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the closure of British missions overseas.

David Lidington: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) on 11 May 2011, Official Report, columns 1165-68.

Export Controls

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the terms of reference are for the review of licences for the export of military equipment to the middle east and North Africa; who is undertaking the review; and when it will report.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has commissioned a review of Government policy and practice with regard to the export of equipment that might be used for internal repression, in particular crowd control goods. Although this review was originally commissioned in response to events in the middle east and north Africa, any conclusions will apply to our procedures for arms exports to all countries. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is leading this internal review in close consultation with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Government will be reporting back on the review to Parliament. This will take place once the Secretary of Sate has fully considered the findings of the review.

Foreign Nationals: Prisoners

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic assistance his Department is providing to the Home Department in negotiating prisoner transfer agreements with (a) Nigeria and (b) other countries in respect of foreign national prisoners.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works closely with the Ministry of Justice to raise the profile of prisoner transfer agreements, and facilitate their negotiation where possible through advocacy, lobbying and project support. This has included in the case of Nigeria FCO participation in bi-annual senior official meetings, most recently in Abuja in March 2011.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), to the hon. Member for Hendon (Mr Offord) on 1 March 2011, Official Report, column 410W. This sets out the Government's policy to extend or negotiate new prisoner transfer agreements with as many countries as possible, including Nigeria.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts his Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently has 40 contracts globally with G4S companies, totalling approximately £32 million per annum. The largest two are for Afghan Security Services (£23 million) and UK Guarding (£4 million). Details of the remainder of the contracts which provide physical security to posts overseas are not kept centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the involvement of Libyan nationals in military action against British forces in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in the last 10 years.

William Hague: It is a matter of public record that Libyan nationals were involved in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Throughout the time of British military engagement the information available suggests that the relative ease of travel to Iraq in particular meant that Libyan nationals contributed to the foreign fighting contingent in the country. UK and international partners have worked together over the last 10 years to ensure that foreign fighters from Libya and elsewhere could not travel with ease to Iraq or Afghanistan to enter into military action against British forces.

Iraq: Iran

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the use of loudspeakers on the psychological welfare of residents of Camp Ashraf; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are unable to assess the effect of the loudspeakers at Camp Ashraf on the residents. We have been told by the Iraqi Government that they are there to allow family members to communicate with relatives inside the camp. Based on consular visits to the camp, we agree they are loud and could be perceived to be oppressive at close quarters.
	We regularly discuss the situation of Camp Ashraf with our international partners and have repeatedly pressed the Government of Iraq to ensure the human rights of the residents of Camp Ashraf are respected.

Mauritania: Foreign Relations

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet his counterparts in Mauritania to discuss Anglo-Mauritanian relations.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has recently written to his Mauritanian counterpart and a number of official-level visits took place during 2010. We will continue our dialogue with Mauritania through ministerial contact and our ambassador in Rabat, who is accredited to Nouakchott.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The number of reported disappearances has reduced significantly since the end of the military conflict in May 2009. However cases are still occurring. We are concerned that there has been little visible progress in investigating cases that took place before or after the war and the recent report by the UN Secretary General's Panel of Experts also recommends the Sri Lankan Government investigate and disclose the fate and location of persons reported as being forcibly disappeared. We regularly raise our concerns with the Sri Lankan Government, most recently when I met the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on 31 March.

World Bank

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the conventions which apply to the nationalities of candidates for leading positions at (a) the World Bank and (b) the International Monetary Fund.

William Hague: At the G20 summit in Toronto last year, Leaders affirmed the commitment to open, transparent and merit-based selection of their heads and senior leadership of international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

JUSTICE

Prisoners

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are in custody who have more than (a) 10, (b) 50 and (c) 100 convictions.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of offenders serving an immediate custodial sentence at 30 June 2010 by number of previous convictions. These figures are a further breakdown of table A1.26 in “Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin—Annual Tables” which was published on 28 April 2011.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Number of offenders serving an immediate custodial sentence at 30 June 2010 by number of previous convictions 
			 Number of previous convictions Number of offenders 
			 0 to 10 43,376 
			 11 to 50 26,366 
			 51 to 100 442 
			 101 or more 56 
			 Total 70,240

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average time between the date of commencement of a case and of a hearing in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The average time from the receipt to disposal of cases in the First-tier Tribunal—Special Educational Needs and Disability between November 2010 and May 2011 (the latest period for which figures are available) is: 18.33 weeks for cases dealt with at a hearing and 10.88 weeks for cases concluded overall(1).
	The tribunal only deals with cases arising in England; the Special Educational Needs Tribunal for Wales (SENTW) deals with appeals against the decisions of local authorities in Wales and is a devolved tribunal funded by the Welsh Assembly Government,
	(1) The data are management information taken from HMCTS' database and the ‘overall’ concluded figure includes cases that were conceded, withdrawn and struck out before a hearing as well as those decided at a hearing.

Animal Experiments

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will review the application of exemptions from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for information provided by public authorities on the number and type of experiments on animals conducted in the UK.

Kenneth Clarke: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) does not contain an exemption relating specifically to the number and type of experiments conducted on animals. However, it does contain a number of exemptions which may be used to withhold information where its release is not in the public interest. The FOIA also provides an exemption where disclosure is prohibited under other legislation. The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 prohibits the release of certain information about animal experimentation in prescribed circumstances.
	The FOIA will be subject to post-legislative scrutiny in late 2011. It will be for the parliamentary committee conducting post-legislative scrutiny to determine the issues it wishes to examine during this process.

Community Orders

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which private contractors on the National Offender Management Service Community Payback National Provider Framework have admitted body status within the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Crispin Blunt: The pension scheme arrangements would be notified to the authority as part of the response to the Lot specific mini-competitions. Given that the mini-competitions have yet to take place, the precise terms relating to how admitted body status will be applied is not known at present.

Community Orders

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many supervision orders were made in England and Wales with a condition of unpaid work plus one or more other condition in 2010.

Crispin Blunt: There were 25,220 offenders starting Community Order supervision and 13,709 offenders starting Suspended Sentence Order supervision in 2010 with unpaid work plus at least one other requirement attached to the order.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Community Orders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the expected cost per offender per hour for the provision of unpaid work for the financial year 2012-13.

Crispin Blunt: No estimate has been made of the expected costs for 2012-13.
	The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is developing systems to break down current expenditure on a service by service basis, including unpaid work (also known as community payback). Once the information has been reviewed and validated we will then consider how best to use it to meet commitments under the Government's Transparency Agenda.
	The NOMS Specification, Benchmarking and Costing (SBC) programme is creating specifications to be used in commissioning the services NOMS funds. This includes work to support benchmarking by estimating how much it should cost to deliver each service.

Community Orders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many sessional supervisors are employed to supervise unpaid work in each probation trust in England and Wales; and how many such supervisors he expects there to be in financial year 2012-13.

Crispin Blunt: Information is not collected specifically on the number of sessional supervisors employed to supervise unpaid work in each probation trust. Information is however collected on the overall number of staff employed to supervise unpaid work in each probation trust and the latest figures available at 31 December 2010 are provided in the following table.
	It is not possible to forecast future staffing levels of those supervising unpaid work, as the responsibility for resourcing levels lies with the individual probation trusts. It is for them to take the necessary action at a local level to ensure they can deliver the required service within available resources.
	
		
			 Number of staff employed to supervise unpaid work by probation trust at 31 December 2010 
			 Probation   t  rust Headcount 
			 Avon and Somerset 10 
			 Bedfordshire 11 
			 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 24 
			 Cheshire 38 
			 Cumbria 13 
			 Derbyshire 16 
			 Devon and Cornwall 44 
			 Dorset 42 
			 Durham Tees Valley 40 
			 Essex 56 
			 Gloucestershire 14 
			 Greater Manchester 73 
			 Hampshire 13 
			 Hertfordshire 19 
			 Humberside 27 
			 Kent 37 
			 Lancashire 35 
			 Leicestershire and Rutland 31 
			 Lincolnshire 27 
			 London 345 
			 Merseyside 16 
			 Norfolk and Suffolk 65 
			 Northamptonshire 22 
			 Northumbria 26 
			 Nottinghamshire 40 
			 South Yorkshire 53 
			 Staffordshire and West Midlands 211 
			 Surrey and Sussex 97 
			 Thames Valley 36 
			 Wales 108 
			 Warwickshire 13 
			 West Mercia 33 
			 West Yorkshire 96 
			 Wiltshire 17 
			 York and North Yorkshire 43 
		
	
	
		
			 Total 1,791

Community Orders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any probation trusts in England and Wales received remuneration from local authorities or private companies for the provision of unpaid work tasks in the latest year for which information is available.

Crispin Blunt: Probation Trusts receive remuneration for the provision of unpaid work tasks, but the source is not centrally recorded. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is developing systems to collect current expenditure and income on a service by service basis, including unpaid work. The total value of third party income is forecast at £1.4 million for 2011-12.
	The NOMS Specification, Benchmarking and Costing (SBC) programme is creating specifications to be used in commissioning the services NOMS funds. This includes work to support benchmarking by estimating how much it should cost to deliver each service.

Crown Relocations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Kenneth Clarke: I can confirm that the Ministry of Justice does not hold any contracts with Crown Relocations.

Driving Offences

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for driving while using a hand-held mobile phone there have been since the creation of that offence.

Crispin Blunt: Defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts for offences of using a hand held mobile phone while driving, in England and Wales, 2004 to 2010, can be viewed in the following table.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts for offences of using a hand held mobile phone  (1)   while driving, England and Wales, 2004-10  (2,3) 
			 Offence 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Using a hand held mobile phone 482 1,168 1,451 10,911 27,092 32,571 35,255 
			 (1) Statute: Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986—R.110(1), R.110(2) and R.110(3). Introduced 1 December 2003. Offence description: R.110(1) use of a hand held mobile phone while driving; R.110(2) causing or permitting the use of a mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle R. 110(3) using a mobile phone while supervising the holder of a provisional driving licence to drive a motor vehicle on the road. (2) The figures given relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice holds 10 contracts with G4S which cover prisons, prisoner escort custody services (PECS) and electronic monitoring. The monetary value for these contracts is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Contractor Contract description Total contact value  (£ million) 
			 G4S Inter Prison Transfer: National 80.00 
			 G4S Prisoner Escort Custody Services: North Area 264.00 
			 G4S Prisoner Escort Custody Services: East Area 195.00 
			 G4S Electronic Monitoring 424.30 
			 G4S HMP Birmingham 468.30 
			 G4S Featherstone 2 Prison 359.90 
			 G4S HMP Altcourse 918.80 
			 G4S HMP Parc 880.30 
			 G4S HMP Rye Hill 549.10 
			 G4S HMP Wolds 73.33

IBM

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Kenneth Clarke: I can confirm that the Ministry of Justice have one contract with IBM and it is for the supply and maintenance of software. The contract value is £6.8 million for a period of three years.

Insider Trading: Prosecutions

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for the offence of insider trading there were in each year since 1995; and what the penalty was for those convicted of such an offence in each such case.

Crispin Blunt: Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced at all courts for insider dealing, England and Wales 1995 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the tables as follows.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 will be available in the spring of 2012.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences relating to insider dealing, England and Wales 1995 to 2010  (1, 2) 
			 Offence description Statute 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000  (3) 2001 2002 
			 Insider dealing Criminal Justice Act 1993, Sec 52         
			  Proceeded against 2 1 0 0 2 11 7 7 
			  Found guilty(5) 0 0 0 0 2 6 5 2 
			  Sentenced 0 0 0 0 2 6 5 2 
			  Of which:         
			  Absolute and Conditional discharge 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 
			  Fine 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 
			  Community sentence 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 
			  Fully suspended sentence 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Immediate custody 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Offence description Statute 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008  (4) 2009 2010 
			 Insider dealing Criminal Justice Act 1993, Sec 52         
			  Proceeded against 8 3 0 2 3 5 3 9 
			  Found guilty(5) 4 5 4 2 6 0 3 2 
			  Sentenced 4 5 4 2 6 0 3 2 
			  Of which:         
			  Absolute and Conditional discharge 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Fine 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			  Community sentence 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 
			  Fully suspended sentence 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Immediate custody 2 2 4 1 1 0 1 2 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (5) The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed the number proceeded against as the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in an earlier year and the defendants were found guilty at the Crown court in the following year; or the defendants were found guilty of a different offence to that for which they were originally proceeded against. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Offenders: Probation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average size is of offender groups supervised by the Probation Service in England and Wales for unpaid work;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the expected size of offender groups supervised by the Probation Service in England and Wales for unpaid work for the financial year 2012-13.

Crispin Blunt: Information collected by the National Offender Management Service suggests that the average size(1) of unpaid work groups for the period January to March 2011 was 6.1(2).
	There is a national competition for community payback/unpaid work currently under way and the expected size of work groups will depend on assessments by the successful provider(s). Therefore no estimate has been made of the expected size of offender work groups in 2012-13. The actual size of work groups is determined by a number of factors including the type of work being undertaken, location and the risks posed by the offenders.
	(1) The figure is the actual number of offenders worked (as opposed to the number who were instructed to attend the group).
	(2) The figures used in the answer have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prison: Drug Seizures

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on procedures for seizure of illicit drugs in prisons using (a) sniffer dogs, (b) closed-circuit television, (c) strip searches, (d) intimate searches, (e) searches of prison cells and (f) police intelligence.

Crispin Blunt: NOMS officials regularly hold discussions with the Scottish Prison Service on a wide range of matters related to prison security, including the detection of drugs and the exchange of intelligence.

Prisoners: Peterborough

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the likely number of short-term prisoners participating in the Peterborough payment by results pilot during the first two years of that pilot.

Crispin Blunt: The Social Impact Bond at Peterborough prison will target three cohorts of short sentence prisoners, one after the other. Each cohort will contain around 1,000 offenders (the length of each cohort will be dependent on the length of time required for 1,000 unique individuals to be released from Peterborough prison, up to a maximum of 24 months). In the first two years of the pilot, we expect that around 1,000 eligible offenders will be released from Peterborough prison.
	The Ministry of Justice will measure the outcome of the programme in relation to the entire cohort of offenders eligible, and does not collect data on participation.

Prisoners: Peterborough

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the duration of the Peterborough payment by results pilot will be.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice has commissioned Social Finance Ltd to run the Social Impact Bond at Peterborough prison for a maximum period of six years from September 2010. It will target three cohorts of short sentence prisoners, each containing around 1,000 offenders, one after the other. The length of each cohort will be dependent on the length of time required for 1,000 unique individuals to be released from Peterborough prison, up to a maximum of 24 months.
	The results from the final cohort are expected to be published in 2018, as a time-lag is required to assess the reconvictions of the offender cohorts.

Prisons: Arts

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the future funding of the Writers in Prison network; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Writers in Prison network have a full year of Arts Council regular funding remaining and the Arts Council will be working with them during that time to explore how they can sustain their work in the future.
	In addition the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) have awarded the Writers in Prison network a grant of £80,000 for the current financial year. It will be possible for them to apply for a grant in subsequent years. Officials in NOMS have ongoing contact with the Writers in Prison network to ensure that they are aware of any grant and contract opportunities relevant to the services they deliver.

Prisons: Visits

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of establishing visitor centres in each prison to allow work with prisoners, their children and families on prisoner rehabilitation to take place; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: We recognise the important role that family support can play in the rehabilitation of offenders. Prisons vary greatly in the type of facilities from which services to visitors are provided, and we have no plans to assess the merits of establishing visitor centres in each prison. However, NOMS have issued specifications and instructions to prisons in England and Wales which establish the minimum levels of service that should be provided to visitors whether or not a prison has a dedicated visitor centre.

Serco

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice holds seven contracts with Serco covering Prisons, Prisoner Escort Custody Services (PECS) and Electronic Monitoring. The monetary value for these contracts is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Contractor  Contract description Total contract value (£ million) 
			 Serco Prisoner Escort Custody Services—London and South East Area 338.00 
			 Serco Electronic Monitoring 324.90 
			 Serco HMP Doncaster 338.70 
			 Serco Lowdham Grange 484.20 
			 Serco Dovegate 782.40 
			 Serco Ashfield 657.70 
			 Serco Belmarsh West 931.20

Theft: Sentencing

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average length of custodial sentence for (a) armed robbery and (b) shoplifting was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many convictions for shoplifting there were in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England and Wales in each year since 2005.

Crispin Blunt: Defendants sentenced and the average custodial sentence length for shoplifting and robbery offences in England and Wales, 2010 can be viewed in table 1. Data held centrally on the Court Proceedings Database do not include information about the circumstances behind each case other than that which may be identified from a statute. It is therefore not possible to identify from robbery offences where the defendant was sentenced for armed robbery.
	Defendants found guilty of shoplifting in Staffordshire courts and England and Wales, 2005 to 2010 can be viewed in table 2.
	
		
			 Table 1: Defendants sentenced and the average custodial sentence length (months) for shoplifting and robbery at all courts, England and Wales, 2010  (1, 2) 
			 Offence Sentenced Other sentences Immediate custody Average custodial sentence length  (3) 
			 Shoplifting(4) 78,867 65,272 13,595 1.9 
			 Robbery(5) 8,514 3,568 4,946 34.5 
			 (1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences.  (4) Stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting)—Theft Act 1968.  (5) Robbery and assaults with intent to rob—Theft Act 1968.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Defendants found guilty of shoplifting  (1)   in Staffordshire courts and England and Wales, 2005-10  (2, 3) 
			  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Staffordshire 1,073 1,024 1,131 1,198 1,123 1,132 
			 England and Wales 64,076 58,536 62,563 68,335 72,909 79,165 
			 (1 )Stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting)—Theft Act 1968.  (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice.

Victim Support Schemes: Voluntary Organisations

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what funding his Department provided for voluntary sector groups supporting victims and witnesses of crime in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: In 2010-11 the Ministry of Justice provided funding of £48,242,836 to voluntary sector groups supporting victims and witnesses of crime, as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Trafficking 1,352,362 
			 Victims Fund—Hate Crime 250,000 
			 Victims Fund—Sexual Violence 1,250,000 
			 Contribution to Independent Sexual Violence Advisers 20,000 
			 Homicide Fund 270,474 
			 Court-based Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (voluntary sector only) 660,000 
			 Victim Support 44,250,000 
			 Brake 50,000 
			 Support After Murder and Manslaughter National 140,000 
		
	
	In the same year the Home Office provided funding of £4,125,307 as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Independent Domestic Violence Advisers 2,300,000 
			 Independent Sexual Violence Advisers 860,000 
			 Contribution to Victims Fund—Hate Crime 15,307 
			 Contribution to Poppy Project 950,000

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Crown Relocations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) currently hold no centrally let contracts with Crown Relocations.
	To provide information relating to contracts which may have been awarded to Crown Relocations by our delegated procurement officers based in overseas locations would incur disproportionate costs.

Developing Countries: Abortion

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will commission research on the proportion of aid disbursed to each recipient country to (a) promote, (b) facilitate and (b) perform abortions.

Andrew Mitchell: The Government have no such plans. It is not possible to disaggregate UK aid spending for safe abortion from wider expenditure on areas such as reproductive health care, maternal and neonatal health and health personnel development. This is because the Department for International Development (DFID) works to improve access to effective and integrated health services.
	It is a major priority for the UK Government to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to modern family planning methods and promoting women's choice, in the developing world. Safe abortion reduces recourse to unsafe abortion and saves maternal lives. Each year 65-70,000 women die following unsafe abortion. DFID's policy position on safe abortion is set out in the practice paper "Safe and unsafe abortion", which will be placed in the Library of the House.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will ask the Independent Commission for Aid Impact to assess the Government's international climate finance plan.

Andrew Mitchell: The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) decides independently what aspects of the UK aid programme it will review. ICAI developed its current work plan following extensive consultation. The plan includes an evaluation of climate change financing across Government Departments and a separate evaluation of the Department for International Development's (DFID's) climate change programme in Bangladesh.

Developing Countries: Food

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effects of food commodity prices on access to staple foods in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: International food prices have increased significantly over the past nine months, reaching their highest levels since 1990, but the recent picture has been mixed. The Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO's) Food Price Index (FFPI) showed that a sharp increase in international grain prices in April more than offset declines in dairy, sugar and rice, while oils and meat prices were mostly unchanged.
	Local food prices follow global food markets, albeit with a slight time lag. Analysis of the domestic prices of staples in developing countries again shows a mixed picture. In Nigeria, prices of sorghum and maize in Kano, the main market of the country, rose by about 11% in March from the previous month. However, in Mozambique, prices of main staple maize declined markedly between March and April in all monitored markets reflecting the start of the 2011 harvest. In Malawi, prices of maize rose in March but are 50% below the levels of the previous year following the 2010 bumper crop and expectation of another good harvest in 2011.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts his Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Alan Duncan: The following table details the centrally let contracts the Department for International Development (DFID) holds with G4S.
	
		
			 Start date End   d  ate Contract for Consultant's name Contract value (£) 
			 1 March 2007 31 July 2011 Providing security services for DFID India office and expat residential properties in Delhi G4S Security Services (India) Pvt. Ltd. 638,920 
			 1 April 2011 31 March 2013 Providing outsourced driver services to BHC, New Delhi and DFID India G4S Facility Services (India) Pvt. Ltd (1)80,705 
			 (1)Amount paid by DFID. This is a joint DFID FCO contract with a total value of £183,632. 
		
	
	To provide information relating to contracts which may have been awarded to G4S by our delegated procurement officers based in overseas locations would incur disproportionate costs.

IBM

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) currently hold no centrally let contracts with IBM.
	To provide information relating to contracts which may have been awarded to IBM by our delegated procurement officers based in overseas locations would incur disproportionate costs.

Overseas Aid: Private Sector

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department's paper, The Engine of Development: The private sector and prosperity for poor people, constitutes the primary strategy document of its Private Sector Department.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) private sector paper is not a strategy, but rather sets out our new approach to working with the private sector. The paper gives examples of activities outlined in the Operational Plans of DFID country, regional and central teams. It is not intended as a blueprint for our future activities, since our approach will remain flexible to allow for the dynamism of private enterprise.

Serco

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts his Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) currently hold no centrally let contracts with Serco.
	To provide information relating to contracts which may have been awarded to Serco by our delegated procurement officers based in overseas locations would incur disproportionate costs.

TREASURY

Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the announced final proposals on a carbon floor price differ from those modelled in his Department's consultation.

Justine Greening: The consultation asked for views on how best to implement a carbon price floor, including how the Government should determine future market prices of carbon upon which to base carbon price support rates. For illustrative purposes the consultation used the Government's long-term carbon price forecast as modelled by DECC,
	The Government response to the consultation confirmed that a market-based approach would be used to determine carbon price support rates as this was the option preferred by respondents. The Finance Bill reflects this approach.
	The Government's response is available online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/carbon_price_floor _consultation_govt_response.pdf

Child Care Tax Credit

Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effects on the annual level of payments to a family with one child entitled to the full amount of implementation of the proposals to reduce the child care element of working tax credit.

David Gauke: No estimate has been made.
	The reduction in the child care element is part of a range of reforms to the tax credits system announced at the spending review.
	Estimating the impact of an individual measure does not give a clear indication of the full monetary impact on an individual household.
	The Government published estimates of the distributional impact of the whole package of announced tax and benefit measures which can be found at:
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_annexb.pdf

Commodity Markets

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his policy is on the proposals by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development for an international commodities trading tax;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the value of holdings in commodity index funds traded in the UK in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and (e) 2011 to date;
	(3)  what his policy is on the regulation of derivative markets in foodstuffs;
	(4)  what discussions he has had in the G20 on the regulation of derivative markets in foodstuffs.

Mark Hoban: The causes of volatility in international agricultural markets, and the appropriate policy response, are the subject of ongoing discussion across the different G20 formations.
	It is difficult to be definitive about the role of speculation in agricultural price spikes. Food supply and prices are affected by a number of factors including global energy prices, global stock levels, the size of harvests, changes in exchange rates and national agricultural trade and marketing policies. On balance we are sceptical about the degree to which speculation has played a significant causal role. The Government continues to monitor relevant research in this area with interest.
	It is also important to note that trading in commodities markets plays an important role in providing liquidity (the volume of trades being made in a market) in these markets and that liquidity is essential to the effective functioning of these markets. Against the backdrop of climate change, and the possibility that international agricultural prices may become more volatile over time, the role of agricultural futures and options markets, and the liquidity they rely on, become more important.
	Before any regulations are introduced it is important that there is a clear understanding of the associated costs and benefits. The Government would need to see a more detailed proposal from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development before they could comment.
	Information on the value of holdings in commodity index funds traded in the UK is not centrally collected.

Crown Relocations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury do not currently hold any contracts with Crown Relocations.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on what date special advisers in his Department last used the Government car pool to travel in an official capacity; and on how many occasions a special adviser in his Department has travelled to their home address using the Government car pool since May 2010;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on special advisers' travel by (a) Government car, (b) private hire car, (c) train, (d) bus, (e) commercial aircraft and (f) private aircraft since May 2010;

Justine Greening: The use of official cars and taxis by civil servants, including special advisers, is governed by the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts his Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury do not currently hold any contracts with G4S.

IBM

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury do not currently hold any contracts with IBM.

Public Sector Debt: Greece

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the exposure to Greek government debt of banks with a majority UK financial investments shareholding.

Mark Hoban: The Government do not comment on the exposures of specific firms.
	However Royal Bank of Scotland has published information on country risk in their Q1 2011 Interim Management Statement, which can be found on their website at:
	http://www.investors.rbs.com/results_presentations

Public Sector Debt: Greece

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the exposure of the Bank of England to Greek government debt.

Mark Hoban: The Court of Directors at the Bank of England are responsible for decisions related to the Bank's activities in this area. The Bank reviews its risk management and business management activities in its Annual Report, along with its other activities.

Taxation: Aviation

Henry Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the grounds in international law are for his decision not to proceed with a per plane tax.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 359-60W.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice he has received from the Office of Tax Simplification on the simplification of environmental taxes.

Justine Greening: As part of the Office of Tax Simplification's (OTS) report on the review of tax reliefs the OTS suggested that both landfill tax and the aggregates levy should be reviewed, as both regimes contain basic charging provisions with numerous exemptions and it may be more appropriate to define what is included rather than what is excluded. The full OTS report can be found at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/ots_review_tax_reliefs_ final_report.pdf

Taxation: International Co-operation

Toby Perkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his G20 counterparts on developing a system for the automatic exchange of information between tax jurisdictions.

David Gauke: The focus of discussions in the G20 on tax is on ensuring that all jurisdictions implement the internationally agreed standard for exchange of information on request. Automatic exchange of information is particularly important within the EU, where discussions have focused on strengthening relevant directives, notably the savings directive which provides for automatic exchange of information on savings income.

Taxation: Offshore Industry

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2011, Official Report, column 360W, on taxation: offshore industry, if he will request the Office for National Statistics to determine whether the Energy Company Obligation is to be considered levy-funded spending before the Energy Bill [Lords] is considered in Public Bill Committee.

Justine Greening: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has not yet considered the classification of the proposed Energy Company Obligation. Final classification decisions would be issued by ONS after the policy is announced by the Government.

Taxation: Offshore Industry

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects on levels of North sea oil and gas production of the changes proposed to the tax regime in the 2011 Budget

Justine Greening: As set out in Budget tax information and impact note which can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6133.htm
	the Government do not expect a significant impact on investment or production in the forecast period as a consequence of this measure.

Taxation: Offshore Industry

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will asses the effects of the increase in the supplementary charge on oil and gas companies registered in the UK on energy security.

Justine Greening: The Government, in the Budget tax information and impact note which can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6133.htm
	have already made an assessment of the impact of the supplementary charge increase. The Government do not expect a significant impact on investment or production (and thus on the UK's energy security) in the forecast period as a consequence of this measure.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Jason McCartney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs telephone advisers were available to deal with taxpayer queries related to self-assessment tax returns on average in each day of the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: The majority of calls to HMRC from customers with self-assessment queries are routed through a virtual network of centrally managed contact centres to advisers who are able to deal with a wide range of both self-assessment and PAYE queries. Consequently HMRC is unable to disaggregate the number of advisers available to deal specifically with queries related to self-assessment tax returns from those available to deal with other inquiries.

Vehicle Excise Duty

George Eustice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual cost to the Exchequer of restoring the exemption from vehicle excise duty for 25-year-old vehicles.

David Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria apply to the exemption from road tax for classic vehicles registered for more than 25 years.

Justine Greening: The criterion for a classic vehicle to be exempt from vehicle excise duty is that the vehicle must have been built or registered prior to 1 January 1973. The cost of change has not been estimated as the Government have no plans to change the exemption against the current backdrop of fiscal consolidation.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much each local authority spent on electoral registration per elector in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Harper: The Electoral Commission has published financial data for each local authority in Great Britain, covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years. Information on the 2009-10 financial year will be published on its website in July 2011.
	The information requested can be found on the Commission's website:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards/financial-information

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010, Official Report, column 296W, on constituencies, 
	(1)  by what means he expects the implementation of individual voter registration to increase levels of voter registration;
	(2)  pursuant to the answers of 6 September 2011, Official Report, columns 298-303W, on the electoral register, when he plans to set out his approach to raising rates of electoral registration among groups identified as currently under-registered.

Mark Harper: The introduction of individual electoral registration will allow steps to be taken to improve the completeness of the electoral register.
	We will make a full announcement about the Government's plans for the implementation of individual electoral registration shortly.
	We are already this year running data matching pilot schemes to compare the electoral register against other public databases to find people missing from the electoral register to invite them to register. These are due to begin shortly and will run until the end of November 2011. Based on the outcome of these pilots we will decide whether to roll this out more widely.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010, Official Report, column 301W, on the electoral register, if he will consider the merits of collecting information on the (a) number, (b) location and (c) performance of electoral registration working groups.

Mark Harper: The Government have no current plans to collect such information.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010, Official Report, columns 303-04W, on the electoral register, what information he holds on any local authority which has not implemented the provisions of section 96 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 in respect of the number of house to house inquiries to be carried out.

Mark Harper: The Department does not hold any information in addition to the information collected and published by the Electoral Commission. Information on performance by electoral registration officers in each local authority is collected by the Electoral Commission as part of its work on monitoring performance standards. The Electoral Commission's Third Report on Performance Standards was published in April 2011 and can be found at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/116444/ERO-Performance-Report-Final.pdf

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010, Official Report, columns 300-01W, on the electoral register, which local authorities applied for funding from the £2.5 million set aside by the Ministry of Justice to encourage participation in electoral registration.

Mark Harper: I refer the hon. Member to my reply given on 6 September 2010, Official Report, columns 300-01W, in which I undertook to provide a breakdown of the amounts which were provided to individual local authorities to encourage participation in electoral registration in each of the financial years 2007-08 to 2009-10 to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I provided this on 19 January 2011.
	I will arrange for an updated breakdown of the amounts which were provided to individual local authorities in the financial year 2009-10 and for 2010-11 to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 22 July 2010, Official Report, columns 584-5W, on the electoral register, on what date it was decided to end the Participation Fund.

Mark Harper: I refer the hon. Member to my reply given on 22 July 2010, Official Report, columns 584-5W, in which I advised that a decision to end the Participation Fund was taken as part of the Emergency Budget which was published on 22 June 2010.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010, Official Report, column 304W, on the electoral register, what assessment he has made of (a) the current self-assessment procedure for Electoral Registration Officers and (b) the effectiveness of the Electoral Commission in monitoring that procedure.

Mark Harper: The Electoral Commission asks electoral registration officers (EROs) to report their performance in line with legislation and then carries out a verification process on a sample of returns to assess quality and accuracy.
	I understand that the commission has scrutinised evidence (by means of hard copy submission or face to face meetings) with over three quarters of local authorities (covering both EROs and returning officers) over a three-year period.
	The commission will be refining the standards over the coming year in consultation with external stakeholders (electoral administrators, the Association of Electoral Administrators, DCLG and Cabinet Office) to build on the work carried out over the last three years, and more recently on the referendums held in March and May 2011.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to improve electoral registration rates in areas with large numbers of residents who are functionally illiterate.

Mark Harper: Electoral registration officers (EROs) are under a duty to take all necessary steps to ensure an accurate and comprehensive register. The Electoral Commission is responsible for providing guidance to EROs. The Commission recommends that the electoral registration office and contact staff are trained to deal with inquiries from people who have low level reading and writing skills and suggests that EROs may want to produce easy-read literature to enable greater understanding of the registration process.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons he proposes to change the date for the introduction of individual voter registration from 2015 to 2014.

Mark Harper: The coalition agreement published in May last year promised to speed up the implementation of individual electoral registration to tackle election fraud. I then announced in the House in September last year that we proposed to drop the previous Government's plans for a voluntary phase of individual registration and move directly to make it compulsory from 2014, with special transitional arrangements to “carry forward” any electors already on the register who do not register under the new system that year.
	The introduction of individual electoral registration will allow steps to be taken to tackle electoral fraud to restore voters' confidence in the system by improving the accuracy and security of the register, but they will also allow the Government to take steps to improve the completeness of the register.
	We will make a full announcement about the Government's plans for the implementation of individual electoral registration shortly.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of individual voter registration on levels of electoral registration.

Mark Harper: The introduction of individual electoral registration will allow the Government to take steps to improve the completeness of the electoral register.
	We will make a full announcement about the Government's plans for the implementation of individual electoral registration shortly. We are working with the Electoral Commission to ensure that the move towards individual electoral registration is informed by appropriate evidence. For example, this year we are funding the Electoral Commission to carry out research to provide a robust national measure of completeness and accuracy of the registers. This is because the current data we have on completeness and accuracy are either incomplete or out of date. Further research will be conducted to measure completeness and accuracy both before and after the move to individual electoral registration.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will consider the merits of (a) reviewing levels of fines for electoral non-registration, (b) fixed penalty notices for electoral non-registration.

Mark Harper: As I announced in September last year, the Government have no plans to make electoral registration compulsory or to impose fines for non-registration.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will meet representatives of private sector credit reference agencies to discuss research into levels of unregistered voters and private sector involvement in increasing levels of voter registration.

Mark Harper: The Government are committed to tackling under-registration. The introduction of individual electoral registration will allow us to take steps to improve the completeness of the register, and the Government will publish draft legislation shortly.
	My Department will be working with a range of stakeholders to develop the detailed operational policy for individual electoral registration, including ways in which we can tackle under-registration. As part of this work, the Electoral Commission is conducting research into electoral registration levels in a project funded by the Cabinet Office, which will provide a robust estimate of completeness and accuracy.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what information he holds on the electoral registration rates for (a) 17 to 24-year-olds, (b) private sector tenants and (c) members of black and other minority ethnic groups in each of the last five years; and what steps he is taking to improve electoral registration rates in these groups.

Mark Harper: The Government do not hold this information. The Electoral Commission's March 2010 report on the ‘Completeness and Accuracy of Electoral Registers in Great Britain’ estimated that under-registration was higher than average among 17 to 24-years-olds (56% not registered); private sector tenants (49%); and black and minority ethnic British residents (31%).
	However, the report makes clear that the process of estimating registration rates is an “imprecise science” and says that “all current approaches to estimating the completeness and accuracy of the electoral registers at a national level are imperfect”.
	The introduction of individual electoral registration will allow the Government to take steps to improve the completeness of the electoral register. This includes funding the Electoral Commission to carry out research to provide a robust national measure of completeness and accuracy of the registers. Further research will be conducted to measure completeness and accuracy both before and after the move to individual electoral registration.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will take steps to engage with hon. Members to increase electoral registration in their constituencies.

Mark Harper: The Government are committed to doing all they can to improve registration rates in the context of the implementation of individual electoral registration (IER) in Great Britain. We would welcome any input from hon. Members to determine what more can be done to tackle under-registration. We are about to commence pilot schemes in some 22 electoral registration areas to test the effectiveness of data matching in improving the accuracy and completeness of the electoral register. I recently wrote to those hon. Members whose constituencies draw on registers held by those areas to explain in detail what we are doing and why, and to encourage their support, in Parliament and locally, for the pilot scheme that will be running in their constituency.
	As we implement IER, we will, of course, work with MPs to ensure they are in a position to encourage electoral registration in their constituencies.

Steve Field

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has had recent discussions with Professor Steve Field.

Nicholas Clegg: In his capacity as Chair of the NHS Future Forum, I have had a number of recent discussions with Professor Steve Field. Details of my external meetings are published quarterly and can be found on:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

CABINET OFFICE

Steve Field

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what recent meetings officials in his Department have had with Professor Steve Field;
	(2)  whether his Department has provided support to Professor Steve Field for the listening exercise.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has not provided any support to Professor Steve Field in relation to the NHS listening exercise, and no Cabinet Office officials have met with Professor Steve Field.

Taxation: Offshore Industry

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Energy Company Obligation is classified by the Office for National Statistics as tax and spending for national accounts purposes.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking whether the Energy Company Obligation has been classified by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as tax and spending for national accounts purposes. (58569).
	ONS makes classification decisions in line with a published protocol that is available on our website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/national_statistics/cop/downloads/NAclassification.pdf
	DECC states (see
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/What%20we%20do/Supporting%20consumers/green_deal/1732-extra-help-where-it-is-needed-a-new-energy-compan.pdf
	that the “Energy Company Obligation” is envisaged as a successor to the CERT energy efficiency obligation which finishes at the end of 2012. We understand that the existing legislative basis is being supplemented in the Energy Bill currently before Parliament.
	As such, the ECO is a proposed policy, rather than an existing scheme. Paragraphs 31-37 of the classification protocol sets out how ONS deals with policy proposals such as this. ONS does not usually classify proposed schemes unless asked to do so by Government, such requests do not usually arise until a scheme is well developed.
	To date ONS has not been asked to provide an indicative classification of the Energy Company Obligation.

Unemployment: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were registered as actively seeking work in jobcentres in (a) London and (b) Newham between January and April (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were registered as actively seeking work in jobcentres in (a) London and (b) Newham between January and April (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011. (58731)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	Table 1 shows the number of people resident in (a) London and (b) Newham claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, for each month between January and April for 2010 and 2011.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of persons claiming jobseeker’s allowance resident in (a) London and (b) Newham 
			  London Newham 
			 2010   
			 January 225,965 10,229 
			 February 229,114 10,455 
			 March 227,226 10,267 
			 April 222,626 10,171 
			    
			 2011   
			 January 214,613 10,479 
			 February 219,958 10,642 
			 March 220,857 10,802 
			 April 226,182 11,284 
			 Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system.

HEALTH

Abortion

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many repeat abortions there were in women aged (a) under 20, (b) 20 to 24, (c) 25 to 29, (d) 30 to 34 and (e) 35 years old and over resident in each primary care trust area in England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Ambulance Services: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS ambulances serving the South Lakeland district in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: No assessment has been made of the number of national health service ambulances serving the South Lakeland district. The geographical provision of ambulances is a matter for the local NHS to determine in accordance with local demand.

Ambulance Services: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average ambulance response time in (a) Cumbria and (b) South Lakeland district in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: Information on average ambulance response times is not collected centrally. Data on performance against ambulance response time targets are collected at ambulance trust level only and are published annually by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care in the statistical bulletin “Ambulance Services England”. These documents are available on the NHS Information Centre for health and social care website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-and-performance/ambulance

Cancer: Drugs

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the support which patients with rarer cancers are receiving through the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Simon Burns: We made an additional £50 million available to strategic health authorities in 2010-11 which has already helped over 2,400 cancer patients, including those with rarer cancers, to access treatments not previously available to them on the national health service. The Cancer Drugs Fund, launched on 1 April 2011 will help thousands more cancer patients access the drugs their clinicians believe will help them.

Cancer: Drugs

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms are in place to prevent regional variation in the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Simon Burns: The Department published “Guidance to support operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2011-12” on 23 March 2011. The guidance is intended primarily for strategic health authorities and their clinically-led panels.
	A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library.

Cancer: Health Services

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated total expenditure from the public purse was on (a) cancer care and (b) lung cancer care in (i) each primary care trust area, (ii) each cancer network area and (iii) nationally, in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how much of such spending was on (A) in-patient costs excluding those relating to surgery, (B) surgery including daycare and in-patient stays, (C) drugs, cost of medicine preparation and administration, (D) out-patients, diagnostics, first and follow-up appointments, (E) radiotherapy, (F) specialist palliative care, excluding voluntary sector, and (G) other, calculated using the same method as that used to calculate the chart on page 119 of the Department of Health's Cancer Reform Strategy of 3 December 2007.

Paul Burstow: Tables showing estimated expenditure on cancer care and lung cancer care in England, by each cancer network area and by each primary care trust (PCT), have been placed in the Library.
	Information on cancer care has been provided for England and PCTs for the last five years. Information on cancer care has been provided for cancer networks from 2004-05, as this is the first year that the information became available. Information for lung cancer has been provided from 2006-07 as this is the first year that data were collected at sub-category level for a number of tumour types.
	The information requested at A to G is not routinely available. The estimated total national health service spend on cancer care represented in the graph on page 119 of the “Cancer Reform Strategy” was an analysis commissioned specifically for inclusion in the Strategy. It was based on a wide range of data from 2005-06, and the sources of these data are quoted in the Strategy. An estimated NHS spend on cancer care under the same categories of that graph is not available for any other years, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Care Homes

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of (a) residential care places provided by Southern Cross and (b) vacant places in other provision in each local authority area.

Paul Burstow: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) collects data on the total numbers of care home places as part of its work to register all care homes in England.
	A table showing total numbers of care home places and numbers of places in Southern Cross homes in each local authority area has been placed in the Library.
	Neither the Department nor the CQC collects occupancy or vacancy information. However, the health and social care analysts, Laing and Buisson, report that vacancy levels in care homes average 10-11% in England.

Care Homes: Standards

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many vulnerable people with learning disabilities were placed in locked wards in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission's response to information given to it about the care of patients at Winterbourne View;
	(3)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that care homes and hospitals are more open to public scrutiny;
	(4)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that the staff in care homes and hospitals have a positive attitude towards people with learning disabilities and complex needs;
	(5)  if he will take steps to ensure the high quality care of vulnerable people in privately-run homes and hospitals;
	(6)  what steps he plans to take to prevent a recurrence of events at Winterbourne View;
	(7)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that the Care Quality Commission effectively monitors care quality for learning disabled and other vulnerable groups;
	(8)  what steps he plans to take in relation to the company responsible for the operation of Winterbourne View.

Paul Burstow: The Government keep information about the total number of patients detained under the Mental Health Act but this information is not disaggregated according to condition or placement. The NHS Information Centre routinely collects information about people who are deprived of liberty under the Mental Capacity Act but this information is not disaggregated according to specific condition or placement. This information can be accessed at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/mental-health/mental-health-act
	The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will shortly start a three-month inspection of the 150 hospitals which care for people with learning disabilities, and this will include unannounced inspections. That is in addition the CQC inspection of the other 22 hospitals run by Castlebeck.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the comprehensive written ministerial statement issued on 7 June 2011, Official Report, columns 13-15WS. This sets out the facts of the case and the actions that have been taken by all agencies including the Department.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure GP surgeries offer more flexible opening hours for the purposes of increasing the take-up of cervical screening.

Simon Burns: From April this year, in agreement with the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association, we have amended the existing Directed Enhanced Service arrangements to provide practices with additional flexibilities for them to offer patients appointments at more convenient times to see a general practitioner or nurse within their practice. It is therefore now a matter for practices to consider and respond to meet their patients' expectations to be able to see a health care professional in their practice outside of normal opening hours.

Crown Relocations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Simon Burns: The Department does not currently hold any contracts with Crown Relocations.

Dental Services: Conditions of Employment

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to ensure dentists comply with the terms of their NHS contracts.

Simon Burns: Primary care dentistry is commissioned by primary care trusts (PCTs) to meet the needs of the local population. PCTs commission dental contract holders to provide services as required. Those who choose to hold national health service dental contracts are, together with anyone else working on the contract; legally obliged to comply with its terms. Should a breach of contract occur there are sanctions open to the commissioner including, in certain circumstances, termination of the contract.

Departmental Manpower

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed by his Department in each financial year from 1997-98 to 2010-11; and what the cost to the public purse was of such appointments in (i) cash and (ii) real terms in each year.

Simon Burns: The Government are committed to publishing, on a quarterly basis, details of special advisers and their cost. The most recent information was published on 10 March 2011 and can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
	along with information published on 10 June and 28 October 2010.
	From 2004-09 the numbers and cost of special advisers were published annually in the form of a written ministerial statement by the Prime Minister.
	Information for press officer numbers from 1997-98 to 2010-11 can be found in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of staff Cost (£ million) 
			 2010-11 33.73 1.371 
			 2009-10 36.2 1.308 
			 2008-09 31 1.300 
			 2007-08 28 1.369 
			 2006-07 26 1.765 
			 2005-06 30 1.772 
			 2004-05 30 1.471 
			 2003-04 26 1.284 
			 2002-03 24 1.077 
			 2001-02 22 1.279 
			 2000-01 22 1.233 
			 1999-2000 21 1.253 
			 1998-99 15 1.122 
			 1997-98 15 1.062

Departmental Procurement Cards

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Government Procurement Cards were used by his Department in each financial year from 1997-98 to 2010-11; and what transactions were made on Government Procurement Cards used by his Department including (a) the name of the supplier, (b) the date of each transaction and (c) the value of each transaction in each such year.

Simon Burns: The information requested is contained in the document entitled ‘Information on the number of Government Procurement Cards used by the Department of Health since May 2008 and the date, value and supplier for each transaction’. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	The information is not available prior to May 2008 because this is when the Department's reporting database tool used to extract the information was set up. Attempting to provide information prior to May 2008 would mean sifting through individual cardholder paper files and extracting the information manually, which would incur disproportionate costs.

Departmental Research

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, columns 674-78W, on research, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the termination of collection of certain datasets on the ability of Ministers and officials in his Department to (a) respond to questions for oral and written answer and (b) meet the requirements of other forms of parliamentary scrutiny; and whether any savings have accrued from the termination of collection of such data.

Simon Burns: The collection of data from the national health service is regulated by the process called review of central returns (ROCR) administered on behalf of the Department by the NHS Information Centre. This process was started by the previous Administration and continues under this Government. The ROCR process supports Government policy to minimise the burden to the NHS of central data collections. It ensures that collections fit with national health policies in England, requests for the same information are not repeated and NHS organisations can complete returns in as little time as possible. Information is collected for a number of purposes, notably accountability to Parliament, performance management of the NHS and informing policy developments.
	Proposed new collections are subject to ROCR approval, and it is equally important to review all existing data collections to ensure the overall burden is minimised.
	The Government made a commitment in the White Paper “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS” to
	“...initiate a fundamental review of data returns, with the aim of culling returns of limited value. This will ensure that the NHS information revolution...is fuelled by data that are meaningful to patients and clinicians when making decisions about care, rather than by what has been collected historically.”
	This review has taken place and detailed findings will shortly be presented in a full public consultation that will lay out the recommendations for the data returns covered by the review, together with an impact assessment. Responses to the consultation will be incorporated into a full Government response.
	Total estimated annual costs of the data collections that were discontinued during the period May 2010 to April 2011 were £5.8 million.

Departmental Research

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, columns 674-8W, on research, for what reason data collection on (a) three-year funding for third sector organisations, (b) 18-week referral to treatment, (c) swine flu vaccine uptake from GP-registered patients, (d) NHS staff engagement and attitudes towards the NHS, (e) National Children's Health Service mapping, (f) monitoring of extended GP practice opening hours, (g) GP premises data and (h) junior doctors' hours has been terminated; whom he consulted on the termination of data collection in each case; and whether any savings have accrued from each such termination.

Simon Burns: As part of the Department's arrangements to keep the burden of data collection under control, all these returns were due for routine review or renewal in the period and no strong case could be made for retention. For some this reflected the intrinsically temporary nature of the original case. Others had been needed to monitor specific targets and policies that were no longer relevant. In the case of 18-week referral to treatment, the main return on which published national statistics are based has been retained but a subsidiary Patient Tracking List return designed to support detailed performance management is no longer centrally needed.
	None of these data collections were needed to support national statistics or other high profile official statistics publications so no formal consultation was undertaken, but they will be included in the forthcoming consultation on the Department's Fundamental Review of Data Returns for completeness. In one case (National Children's Health Service mapping) the decision to discontinue followed an independent review involving stakeholders.
	Estimated annual collection costs to the national health service of these eight collections were £4.6 million.

Departmental Research

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, columns 674-8W, on research, for what reason data collection on practices' engagement in practice-based commissioning has been terminated.

Simon Burns: The policy of practice-based commissioning was established under the previous Government and is being discontinued. The monitoring of practice engagement with this policy is therefore no longer appropriate.

Diabetes: Eyesight

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent representations his Department has received on patient access to appropriate treatment for diabetic macular oedema;
	(2)  what policies his Department has in place to encourage (a) public awareness, (b) detection and (c) appropriate treatment of diabetic macular oedema.

Simon Burns: We are not aware of any such representations being received.
	Diabetic macular oedema is a complication of diabetic retinopathy. All people with diabetes should be offered annual screening for diabetic retinopathy. Patients thought to have diabetic retinopathy will be referred to a specialist ophthalmologist for confirmation of the presence of the disease and treatment offered, if it is appropriate to do so.
	Primary care trusts are responsible for commissioning health services in their areas to meet the needs of their local populations.

Disease Control

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.

Simon Burns: There is no simple solution to controlling antibiotic resistance. Appropriate prescribing to slow the emergence of resistant strains, good microbiological practice and surveillance to ensure detection and high standards of infection prevention and control practice, are all key steps to prevent the spread of these bacteria.
	“The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance” provides guidance. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	All organisations, including primary care, will use a number of specific measures to tackle antibiotic resistance. These measures include the use of antibiotic stewardship programmes to minimise the unnecessary use of antibiotics and thus reduce the selection pressure for resistance to develop accurate and prompt detection of resistant strains of bacteria and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus screening to reduce the risk of onwards transmission in hospitals and other settings. The Department's expert Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) undertakes ongoing horizon scanning and advises on emerging problems: for example the committee recently issued guidance with the Health Protection Agency on the control of newer highly resistant carbapenemase producing bacteria such as those with New Delhi Metallo Beta Lactamase. The Department and ARHAI also actively promote good antibiotic prescribing.

Drugs: Misuse

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his Department were working on implementing the 2010 Drugs Strategy in each month since January 2011; and how many officials he expects to be working on implementing the strategy in each year to 2013.

Anne Milton: The structure chart for the Department for June 2010 is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_120567.pdf
	An updated structure chart is currently being prepared for publication.
	Under the deputy director for alcohol and drugs, there are currently 7.4 whole time equivalent posts allocated to drugs issues. Additional staff elsewhere in the Department are working on FRANK, the creation of Public Health England and international collaboration.

E. coli

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the UK Border Agency on the screening of imports of fruit and vegetables in the light of the recent E.coli outbreak in Germany.

Anne Milton: We are advised by the Food Standards Agency that the UK Border Agency does not have responsibility for the screening of fruit and vegetables for food safety purposes.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is closely monitoring the E. coli outbreak that is centred in Germany to assess and deal with any risks to United Kingdom consumers. There is no evidence that contaminated products related to the outbreak have entered the UK food chain. The cases of illness reported in the UK and linked to this outbreak involve people who have recently travelled to Germany. The Health Protection Agency has advised clinicians to be alert to the symptoms of E. coli infection.
	Should the FSA suspect that contaminated products associated with this outbreak have entered the UK, immediate action would be taken to alert consumers, withdraw food from the shops and ban further shipments.

Food: Genetically Modified Organisms

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent reports he has received on the discovery in the human blood stream of Bt pesticide derived from genetically-modified components attributable to the consumption of meat and dairy from animals fed on genetically-modified feed.

Anne Milton: In the European Union, genetically modified (GM) foods undergo a rigorous pre-market evaluation that includes the safety of components introduced into GM crops, such as Bt proteins. The safety of Bt proteins has also been assessed during the authorisation of pesticides that contain the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. The assessment of the Bt proteins that are present in authorised GM foods is based on tests in animals and does not include human trials to examine whether the proteins pass into the blood supply. However, the available data from in vitro tests have shown that Bt proteins are rapidly broken down by digestive enzymes in the same way as most other proteins in the diet.
	A Canadian publication has recently suggested that small amounts of one Bt protein may be present in human blood, at around one part per billion, although it is not clear whether the analytical methods that were used in this study were suitable for identifying and quantifying such low levels in human samples. If the finding is correct, the design of this study did not provide any evidence of the source of the protein, which is present in commercial pesticide preparations as well as in some GM crop varieties. The detection of trace levels of Bt proteins in people does not necessarily imply any risk to health.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts his Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Simon Burns: The Department does not currently hold any contracts with G4S.

Health Services: Older People

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response his Department has made to the findings of the report of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, on Care and Compassion, HC 778.

Paul Burstow: We asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to implement a series of unannounced nurse led inspections into elderly care on national health service wards. The findings of the first 12 reports of the inspections into dignity and nutrition for older people were published on 26 May 2011 and a further 14 reports were also published on 9 June 2011. A national report into the findings of the programme will be published in September.
	On 15 February 2011, the chief executive of the NHS and the National Clinical Director for Older People wrote to all NHS Boards highlighting the Ombudsman's report and urging them to assure themselves that these events are not happening in their own organisations.
	Subject to parliamentary approval, the Health and Social Care Bill will also provide for the creation of local HealthWatch organisations to hold services to account, and enable the CQC to use its enforcement powers to ensure that real improvements are made.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of NHS treatments administered to visitors from overseas in the last year for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The total audited figures on total losses, bad debt and claims abandoned for overseas visitors who were charged for national health service hospital treatment for 2009-10, for which figures are available for England, are shown in the following table. However, data are not available on the cost to the NHS of administering hospital treatment to overseas visitors who are exempt from charge under the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended.
	
		
			 Bad debts and claims abandoned in respect of overseas patients 
			  £ 
			 2009-10 6,967,780 
			 Note: We do not collect data from NHS foundation trusts so figures exclude these sites. Source: NHS Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules.

Health Services: Sign Language

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the merits of providing (a) interpreters and (b) video relay services for users of British Sign Language to access health services.

Paul Burstow: It is for local national health service organisations to make appropriate assessment and provision for users of British Sign Language to access health services appropriately.

Health Services: Sign Language

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision the NHS makes for users of British Sign Language to contact local NHS services.

Paul Burstow: National health service organisations must assure themselves that they have complied with the Equality Act 2010. This includes advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic, including a disability such as hearing loss, and those who do not. Advancing equality involves, for example, taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people.
	It would be for local NHS organisations to make appropriate provision for users of British Sign Language such as establishing contacts with interpreters and voluntary organisations as needed and ensuring that such interpreters have the necessary qualifications and expertise for the purpose they are required.

Health Services: Sign Language

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision his Department makes for users of British Sign Language to access health services.

Paul Burstow: The Department is committed to making sure that all the information we publish uses language that is appropriate to the intended audience, and to making sure that information is available in accessible formats, and via accessible methods.
	It is up to individual national health service organisations to decide how they comply with the Equality Act 2010. However, the NHS Equality and Diversity Council, chaired by Sir David Nicholson, NHS chief executive, has a strategic role to support the NHS to deliver better outcomes for patients, comply with the Equality Act 2010 and ensure services and work places are personal, fair and diverse with equality of opportunity and treatment for all.

Hospitals: Crimes of Violence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many recorded incidents of violence against hospital staff irresponsible alcohol consumption was a contributory factor in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

IBM

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Simon Burns: The Department currently holds one contract with IBM for software licensing support and maintenance. The total contract value is £2,834,346.

Leukaemia: Medical Treatments

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the availability of treatments for chronic myeloid leukaemia; and what discussions his Department has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence about the clinical effectiveness of dasatinib and nilotinib.

Paul Burstow: A number of treatments are available for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is an independent body and we have had no discussions with the institute about its appraisals of dasatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Lung Cancer

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over have received (i) chemotherapy, (ii) radiotherapy and (iii) surgery for lung cancer (A) by each provider, (B) from each primary care trust, (C) in each cancer network and (D) in total in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: Tables showing the number of patients aged 49 years and under, 50 to 59 years, 60 to 69 years, 70 to 79 years and 80 years and over who have received surgery for lung cancer, presented by each provider, each primary care trust (PCT) and in total have been placed in the Library. It should be noted that these data should not be described as a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion.
	This information is not available at cancer network level. This information has been provided for the period 2005-06 to 2009-10, and PCT data have been presented separately for 2005-06 due to the re-configuration of PCTs in 2006-07.
	Hospital episode statistics (HES) are unable to provide chemotherapy data for lung cancer treatment. It is not possible to classify chemotherapy for specific cancers without being provided with exact chemotherapy regimen names. A chemotherapy dataset is in development that will provide a more detailed picture of chemotherapy treatments in the national health service in the future.
	HES are unable to provide radiotherapy data in the format requested. The vast majority of radiotherapy treatment is delivered in an out-patient setting, and the collection of out-patient procedure data are not currently mandated. The National Radiotherapy Dataset project team is working with providers to improve collection of radiotherapy data. A report on the development of the dataset is expected shortly.

Lung Cancer

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of bed occupancy for patients with lung cancer as a proportion of all cancers in (a) England, (b) each cancer network and (c) each primary care trust area in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: Tables showing bed occupancy for patients with lung cancer as a proportion of all cancers in England and in each primary care trust (PCT) area have been placed in the Library.
	This information is not available at cancer network level. This information has been provided for the period 2005-06 to 2009-10, and PCT data have been presented separately for 2005-06 due to the re-configuration of PCTs in 2006-07.

Lung Cancer

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) elective and (b) emergency bed days were accounted for by lung cancer patients in England in each (i) primary care trust area in each financial year since 1997-98 and (ii) cancer network area; and what the overall cost to the public purse of such treatment was in each such year.

Paul Burstow: Tables showing the count of finished consultant episode (FCE) bed days where the primary diagnosis was lung cancer, separated into emergency and elective admissions and split by primary care trust responsibility, for the years 1997-08 to 2009-10 have been placed in the Library.
	FCE bed day data are not available at cancer network level. Information on the cost of bed days is not available centrally.

Lung Cancer

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of stay was for patients admitted with a diagnosis of lung cancer for (a) elective admissions and (b) emergency admissions in each (i) primary care trust area, (ii) cancer network area and (iii) in England in each year since 1997-98.

Paul Burstow: Tables showing the average length of stay for patients admitted with a diagnosis of lung cancer by elective admission and emergency admission in each primary care trust area and in England in each year since 1997-98 have been placed in the Library. This information is not available at cancer network level.

Lung Cancer

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of lung cancer cases were diagnosed through the (a) non-urgent referral route and (b) urgent referral route in (i) England, (ii) each cancer network area and (iii) each primary care trust area in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: These data are not available in the format requested. For the most recent period for which statistics are available (Quarter 4 2010-11) 61,197 persons received first definitive treatment for cancer. Of these, 25,834 or 42.2% were urgently referred for suspected cancer by their general practitioner (GP).
	In the same period, there were 10,445 urgent GP referrals for suspected lung cancer, and 97.7% of these patients were seen by a specialist within 14 days.

Medical Equipment: Counterfeit Manufacturing

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2011, Official Report, column 853W, on medical equipment: counterfeit manufacturing, if he will place in the Library a copy of the medical devices alert issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency requesting the withdrawal of the counterfeit devices in question; and by what means the alert was transmitted to all NHS trusts;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2011, Official Report, column 853W, on medical equipment: counterfeit manufacturing, how many of the high volume consumable devices found to have reached the NHS supply chain in 2009 were distributed;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2011, Official Report, column 853W, on medical equipment: counterfeit manufacturing, what the (a) type and (b) make is of each counterfeit medical device found to have reached the NHS supply chain in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2011;
	(4)  whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency received information in (a) January and (b) March 2011 about the safety of a counterfeit pulse oximeter sensor found in use in a hospital;
	(5)  what progress has been made in the investigation into the counterfeit pulse oximeter sensors found in hospitals within the last year.

Simon Burns: A copy of the medical devices alert on counterfeit pulse oximeter sensors has been placed in the Library. This alert was originally disseminated to national health service trusts through the NHS central alerting system which brings together the chief medical officer’s public health link and the safety alert broadcast system. The central alerting system enables alerts and patient safety specific guidance issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Patient Safety Agency to be accessed at any time.
	All of the counterfeit high volume consumable devices found in the NHS supply chain in 2009 were distributed.
	The 110,000 counterfeit devices found in 2009 were single use needles for the delivery of insulin. In 2011, 300 counterfeit pulse oximeter sensors and six packs of counterfeit condoms were found in the NHS supply chain.
	MHRA received information in January and March 2011 about the safety of a counterfeit pulse oximeter sensor found in use in a hospital. I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 4 March 2011, Official Report, column 666W, for details of the subsequent investigation which is still continuing and the action taken.

NHS: Drugs

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what procedures are in place for the monitoring by his Department of the supply to pharmacies of medicines by pharmaceutical wholesalers;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2011, Official Report, column 1305W, on NHS: drugs, what data his Department uses to monitor the supply of medicines;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2011, Official Report, column 1305W, on NHS: drugs, by what means his Department analyses data to assess whether patients are harmed by delays in the supply of medicines.

Simon Burns: The Department receives regular reports of supply problems from wholesalers, manufacturers, pharmacy organisations and patients. These reports are assessed on the basis of appropriate expert advice. Through the Medicines Supply Chain Group, the Department encourages feedback about shortages that could be causing harm to patients.

NHS: Drugs

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to issue the Government's response to the Value Based Pricing consultation.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the right hon. Member for Oxford East (Mr Smith) on 17 May 2011, Official Report, columns 173-74W.

NHS: Finance

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the level of additional resources which would be required in order to increase the NHS budget in line with the most recent Bank of England median consumer prices index inflation forecast for 2011-12.

Simon Burns: It is not appropriate to calculate growth in national health service spending using Bank of England mean consumer prices index (CPI). CPI measures only consumer prices.
	NHS spending comprises a significant proportion of gross domestic product (GDP). Hence, the GDP deflator is used to calculate growth in NHS spending, since the GDP deflator reflects the prices of all domestically-produced goods and services in the economy.
	This approach is consistent with that taken by the previous Administration.

NHS: Working Hours

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the European Working Time Directive on NHS acute and medical services; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: It is the responsibility of individual national health service trusts to ensure service rotas are compliant and assess the effects of the Working Time Directive's (WTD) implementation.
	In line with the Government's coalition agreement to reduce duplication and resources spent on administration, the Department reduced bureaucracy for the service by removing the burden of central monitoring of compliance, leaving this role to organisations at a local level.
	This Government committed in the coalition agreement to limit the application of the WTD in the UK.
	The Department of Health and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are working closely together to achieve greater flexibility in the application of the WTD to the health care sector. This Government are committed to the retention of the opt-out. The opt-out gives people flexibility and choice over their working hours.

Palliative Care

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of how many NHS hospital trusts use the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient for end of life care.

Paul Burstow: The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) was developed by the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute in Liverpool. The Department does not collect information centrally on the number of hospitals or the number of wards in those hospitals who use the LCP as a possible option for treating patients. The latest information, published in December 2009, is available from the LCP website at:
	www.mcpcil.org.uk/liverpool-care-pathway/index.htm

Patients: Nutrition

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to include questions on a patient's nutritional status in future surveys intended to measure progress on the patient experience domain of the NHS Outcomes Framework.

Simon Burns: The national patient survey programme exists to gain feedback on experience of national health service services from the point of view of patients, rather than to audit hospital processes. The recent adult in-patient survey contained questions on how patients rated hospital food, whether they were offered a choice of food and if they got enough help from staff to eat meals. However it would not be an appropriate mechanism to collect data on patients' actual nutritional status.
	One of the most effective ways of tracking nutritional status in patients at risk is to measure their weight. Data on whether patients were weighed, changes in weight and any action taken are recorded in patient records, and are not collected nationally.

Pharmacy

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency follows to monitor pharmaceutical wholesalers.

Simon Burns: Persons that supply medicines for human use, by way of wholesale distribution for use in the United Kingdom or another member state of the European economic area, are required to hold a wholesale distribution authorisation.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) routinely conducts inspections of the facilities of holders of such authorisations following a risk-based approach, to confirm compliance with United Kingdom medicines regulations and the European Commission’s guideline on good distribution practice.
	Holders of wholesale distribution authorisations who fail to comply with statutory requirements may be subject to formal action by the MHRA in order to protect public health. This can include suspension or revocation of their wholesale distribution authorisations.

Prostate Cancer: Health Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made in implementing the national clinical audit of prostate cancer.

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in implementing the national clinical audit of prostate cancer.

Paul Burstow: We are committed to extending national clinical audit to a wider range of conditions to stimulate local improvements in the quality and outcomes of care and we will make an announcement about new topics shortly.

Prostate Cancer: Health Services

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has made in developing a prostate cancer quality standard; and if he will make a statement.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence plans to develop a prostate cancer quality standard.

Simon Burns: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been commissioned to produce a quality standard for prostate cancer during the period 2011-12. NICE provides progress updates on its quality standard programme on its website:
	www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/qualitystandards/qualitystandards.jsp

Sativex

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what information he holds on the number of primary care trusts that consider Sativex to be a low priority for funding;
	(2)  how many primary care trusts have prescribed Sativex since August 2010; and in what quantity in each case.

Simon Burns: Local funding priorities are a matter for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), and information on PCT policies on Sativex is not held centrally.
	Between August 2010 and March 2011, 128 out of 152 PCTs issued prescriptions for Sativex or its single generic alternative, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, that were dispensed in the community in the United Kingdom. The issuing PCTs and associated number of prescription items are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Number of prescription items for Sativex or its generic alternative that were prescribed in England and dispensed in the community in the UK by PCT—August 2010 to March 2011 
			 PCT Number of items 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan (1)— 
			 Barking and Dagenham (1)— 
			 Barnet (1)— 
			 Bath and North East Somerset (1)— 
			 Bedfordshire 11 
			 Berkshire East 13 
			 Berkshire West 51 
			 Bexley Care Trust 25 
			 Birmingham East and North (1)— 
			 Blackburn with Darwen CTP (1)— 
			 Blackpool 9 
			 Bolton (1)— 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching 8 
			 Brighton and Hove City 18 
			 Bristol (1)— 
			 Bromley (1)— 
			 Buckinghamshire 27 
			 Bury (1)— 
			 Calderdale 20 
			 Cambridgeshire 18 
			 Camden (1)— 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 11 
			 Central Lancashire 22 
			 City and Hackney Teaching (1)— 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 8 
			 County Durham 34 
			 Coventry Teaching 9 
			 Croydon 18 
			 Cumbria Teaching 68 
			 Derby City (1)— 
			 Derbyshire County 9 
			 Devon 42 
			 Dorset 25 
			 Dudley 9 
			 Ealing 12 
		
	
	
		
			 East Lancashire Teaching 6 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 23 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 10 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent 33 
			 Enfield (1)— 
			 Gloucestershire 16 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney 21 
			 Greenwich Teaching 17 
			 Halton and St Helens (1)— 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 8 
			 Hampshire 70 
			 Haringey Teaching 6 
			 Hastings and Rother 10 
			 Heart of Birmingham (1)— 
			 Herefordshire 19 
			 Hertfordshire 26 
			 Hillingdon (1)— 
			 Hounslow (1)— 
			 Hull Teaching 6 
			 Isle of Wight NHS (1)— 
			 Islington 22 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 18 
			 Kingston (1)— 
			 Knowsley 6 
			 Lambeth 10 
			 Leeds 6 
			 Leicester City (1)— 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland (1)— 
			 Lewisham (1)— 
			 Lincolnshire 28 
			 Liverpool (1)— 
			 Luton 13 
			 Manchester 22 
			 Mid Essex 11 
			 Milton Keynes 6 
			 Newcastle (1)— 
			 Newham (1)— 
			 Norfolk 26 
			 North East Essex 9 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus (1)— 
			 North Lancashire Teaching 47 
			 North Lincolnshire 7 
			 North Staffordshire 12 
			 North Tyneside (1)— 
			 North Yorkshire and York 19 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching 62 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 36 
			 Nottingham City 11 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching 22 
			 Oldham (1)— 
			 Oxfordshire 16 
			 Plymouth Teaching (1)— 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 18 
			 Red bridge (1)— 
			 Redcar and Cleveland (1)— 
			 Richmond and Twickenham (1)— 
			 Sandwell 17 
			 Sefton 4 
			 Sheffield 12 
			 Shropshire County 9 
			 Solihull 6 
			 Somerset (1)— 
		
	
	
		
			 South Birmingham 22 
			 South East Essex 26 
			 South Gloucestershire (1)— 
			 South Staffordshire 30 
			 South Tyneside 12 
			 South West Essex 13 
			 Southampton City (1)— 
			 Southwark (1)— 
			 Stockport (1)— 
			 Stoke on Trent (1)— 
			 Suffolk 28 
			 Sunderland Teaching (1)— 
			 Surrey 82 
			 Sutton and Merton 6 
			 Telford and Wrekin 17 
			 Torbay Care Trust 9 
			 Tower Hamlets 6 
			 Trafford (1)— 
			 Walsall Teaching 7 
			 Waltham Forest (1)— 
			 Wandsworth Teaching (1)— 
			 Warrington (1)— 
			 Warwickshire 11 
			 West Essex (1)— 
			 West Kent 81 
			 West Sussex 61 
			 Western Cheshire (1)— 
			 Wiltshire 8 
			 Wirral 16 
			 Wolverhampton City 15 
			 Worcestershire 12 
			 England Total 1,798 
			 (1) Five or fewer prescription items dispensed.  Source:  Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system.

Serco

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts his Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract.

Simon Burns: The Department currently holds one contract with Serco for the provision of financial and due diligence services to national health service trusts preparing business cases to become NHS foundation trusts. The value of payments to date under this contract amounts to £370,486.24.

Southern Cross Healthcare

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the continuation of care for residents of Southern Cross care homes in Weaver Vale constituency.

Paul Burstow: Southern Cross has plans in place to restructure its business and is discussing the matter with departmental officials.
	The Department is being very clear with the company that we expect it to maintain service continuity and quality of care while the restructuring process is ongoing. Our principal concern is for the safety and well-being of the residents of care homes that might be affected. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will pay particular attention to any care homes where there is a concern that quality may be at risk or inadequate.
	The Government are talking to the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association and the CQC to ensure that contingency plans are in place which will allow for the continuation of care under any eventuality. We will continue to keep in close touch with the situation and will work with local authorities, the CQC and others to ensure there is an effective response, which delivers protection to everyone affected.
	I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 7 June 2011, Official Report, columns 16-17WS.

Surgery: Private Sector

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 71-2W, on surgery: private sector, how much his Department paid in total to private sector providers of finished consultant episodes involving an operative procedure in each year since 2000-01;
	(2)  how much his Department paid in total to private sector providers of finished consultant episodes for operations that were not carried out in each year since 2000-01;
	(3)  what the target was for finished consultant episodes with an operative procedure undertaken by private sector providers in each year since 2000-01.

Simon Burns: Table 1 shows the expenditure by national health service commissioners (primary care trusts) in England on the purchase of NHS treatment from non-NHS providers for the financial years 2006-07 to 2009-10 (the latest figures available). For each year expenditure on each provider category is expressed as a proportion (%) of total NHS revenue expenditure, with totals in the final row.
	Data were not collected on expenditure between different sector providers (which included voluntary and local authority) prior to 2006-07. This expenditure relates to a range of services/treatments and is not disaggregated to identify the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) involving an operative procedure.
	
		
			 Table 1: Expenditure by primary care trusts on the purchase of healthcare from non-NHS bodies 2006-07 to 2009-10 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Spend with: £ million % £ million % £ million % £ million % 
			 Independent sector treatment centres 200 0.3 314 0.4 352 0.4 373 0.4 
			 Other private sector providers 1,992 2.5 2,602 3.0 3,066 3.4 3,766 3.9 
			 Total 2,192 2.8 7,916 3.4 3,418 3.8 4,139 4.3 
			 Source: Audited PCT summarisation schedules 2006-07 to 2009-10 
		
	
	The ‘other private sector’ providers in Table 1 provide health care which is usually charged at NHS tariff with no payment or volume guarantees.
	Independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) undertake a variety of activity including elective treatment, diagnostics, screening and walk in centres under contract and have payment and/or volume guarantees.
	Table 2 sets out the total paid to ISTC providers for elective care activity and excludes schemes for purely diagnostic or primary care activity (i.e. as a close approximation to FCEs). The amount paid to the provider includes the guaranteed amount plus any other activity charge under the contract and is measured against the value of procedures performed.
	
		
			 Table 2: Centrally procured IS activity: Total value paid to provider, ISTC, GSUP (waiting list initiative), OC123 (mobile ophthalmology) excluding diagnostic and renal schemes 
			  Wave 1  (1) Phase 2  (2) Total 
			 Financial year Value paid Activity value Utilisation (%) Value paid Activity value Utilisation (%) Value paid Activity value 
			 2003-04 3,550,722 1,773,249 50 — — — 3,550,722 1,773,249 
			 2004-05 76,149,053 71,674,630 94 — — — 76,149,053 71,674,630 
			 2005-06 180,438,057 151,962,618 84 — — — 180,438,057 151,962,618 
			 2006-07 190,146,718 160,681,667 85 — — — 190,146,718 160,681,667 
			 2007-08 250,432,639 211,212,185 84 12,241,300 9,657,462 79 262,673,938 220,869,647 
			 2008-09 279,035,991 240,198,169 86 50,756,214 44,702,872 88 329,792,205 284,901,042 
			 2009-10 290,308,969 255,383,669 88 104,429,810 80,853,135 77 394,738,779 336,236,805 
			 2010-11 212,246,123 204,755,883 96 134,704,555 119,458,031 89 346,950,678 324,213,914 
			  1,482,308,272 1,297,642,070 88 302,131,879 254,671,500 84 1,784,440,151 1,552,313,571 
			 (1) Excludes diagnostics, CWiCs. Includes contracts in total where activity is primarily elective care. (2) Excludes diagnostics, renal. Includes contracts in total where activity is primarily elective care. Notes: 1. Wave 1 contracts were first signed in 2003. 2. Value of procedures performed is for is the monetary value of procedures performed under the pricing formula in the ISTC contract. Procedures covers out-patient assessments, elective procedures, diagnostic activity, walk-in/minor injury episodes and renal dialysis. 3. ‘Paid to provider’ is the guarantee amount plus any other activity charge under the contract.

Telemedicine

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the findings of the Whole Systems Demonstrator programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has any plans to publish findings from the Whole Systems Demonstrator programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he has any plans to implement steps arising from findings of the Whole Systems Demonstrator programme; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The Whole System Demonstrator programme is one of the most complex studies the Department has undertaken. With over 6,000 people involved there has been a considerable amount of data produced which is currently undergoing detailed analysis. As soon as that analysis is completed, the results will be made public and the Department can assess what further action is appropriate.

Westmorland Hospital

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) in-patients and (b) out-patients were treated at Westmorland general hospital in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. Information on the number of finished consultant episodes and out-patient attendances at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Finished consultant in-patient episodes  (1) Out-patient attendances  (2) 
			 2000-01 76,010 n/a 
			 2001-02 78,313 n/a 
			 2002-03 82,310 n/a 
			 2003-04 78,585 283,957 
			 2004-05 79,534 239,966 
			 2005-06 77,298 354,382 
			 2006-07 85,017 400,156 
			 2007-08 95,276 407,956 
			 2008-09 100,168 422,219 
			 2009-10 102,125 436,660 
			 (1) A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2) Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) contains records of all out-patient appointments, whether these are attended or not, or cancelled by either the hospital or the patient. For the purposes of this report, only attended appointments have been included. It should be noted that it is possible for an out-patient to have and attend more than one appointment in any given year, so this figure does not represent the total number of patients seen. Out-patient data are only available from 2003-04 onwards. Source: (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on requiring asylum seekers to move location while their applications for asylum are being processed.

Damian Green: holding answer 9 June 2011
	In circumstances that asylum seekers are moved from supported accommodation to an alternative provider as their applications are being considered, the move must be necessary, reasonable and proportionate. In these circumstances, the UK Border Agency will write to notify the individual affected and provide them with the opportunity to offer information that may inform the relocation arrangements. In a recent exercise involving the expiry of a number of accommodation contracts across the UK Border Agency, re-housing proposals which necessitate a change of schooling proceed only with the approval of the relevant regional director in the UK Border Agency.

Asylum: Human Rights

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were made by asylum seekers under Article 8 of Schedule 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998 in each year since 2000.

Damian Green: holding answer 9 June 2011
	The information is not available. The United Kingdom Border Agency's Case Information Database does not record whether Article 8 has been raised in an asylum seeker's claim and the requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost through the examination of a large number of individual case files.

Departmental CCTV

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many CCTV cameras are installed in and around her Department's premises; and how much such cameras (a) cost to install and (b) cost to operate in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: Central records of CCTV installations are not held, and therefore it is not possible to provide a definitive response. However, the following information can be confirmed.
	CCTV cameras at the Home Office's building at 2 Marsham street, London, are provided within the overall development where the installations and operating costs are met by the PFI operator, the details of which are not held by the Department.
	The UK Border Agency estate has approximately 3,000 CCTV cameras with an average installation cost of £2,000 per camera with annual maintenance costs of approximately £250 per camera.
	The Identity and Passport Service estate has approximately 400 CCTV cameras. The costs are not held centrally.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on special advisers' travel by (a) Government car, (b) private hire car, (c) train, (d) bus, (e) commercial aircraft and (f) private aircraft since May 2010.

Damian Green: The only expenditure incurred by the Home Office on special advisers' travel is when they accompany the Home Secretary on official business. No expense claims have been submitted for personal travel.

Domestic Violence

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on signing the Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

James Brokenshire: We are supportive of the work of the Council of Europe in raising awareness of violence against women and girls and supported the efforts to agree a strong convention. However there are a number of articles on which we require more detailed consideration before a final decision can be made on the signature and ratification of the convention.

Domestic Violence: Victim Support Schemes

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department provided to support victims of domestic violence in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has committed over £28 million of funding for specialist services to tackle violence against women and girls from 2011-12 to 2014-15.
	Over £4 million has been committed to support domestic violence each year over this period. This includes funding:
	Towards the national helplines including the National Domestic Violence helpline, the Men’s Advice Line and Broken Rainbow.
	To support local independent domestic violence advisers (IDVAs) and multi-agency risk assessment co-ordinators (MARACs) nationally.
	For the training and quality assurance process for MARACs and IDVAs
	To contribute to the running of the joint Home Office/Foreign and Commonwealth Office forced marriage unit.
	£2.4 million for funding of the Sojourner Pilot for 2011-12.

Drugs: Crime

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department were working on implementing the 2010 Drugs Strategy in each month since January 2011; and how many officials she expects to be working on implementing the strategy in each year to 2013.

James Brokenshire: The 2010 Drugs Strategy is being implemented across Government in a number of Departments. In the Home Office, the current drug strategy and legislation team has 12 full-time equivalent posts. A number of these posts have a component which incorporates the implementation of the 2010 Drugs Strategy.

Entry Clearances

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals her Department has made for implementation of the Tier 1 (Exceptional) Visa Application Scheme; and whether she has set a date for the scheme's implementation.

Damian Green: We will be making an announcement on the launch of the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent scheme shortly.

Fraud

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to establish a national economic crime agency; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: As the Home Secretary announced on 8 June, the new National Crime Agency will tackle a wide range of serious and complex crimes and it will include a dedicated Economic Crime Command that will provide a more effective, better co-ordinated and intelligence-led response across all types of economic crime. Further information on the National Crime Agency plan can be found on the Home Office website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/nca

Fraud

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the priority given to economic crime by police forces.

James Brokenshire: Priorities within forces are an operational matter for chief constables and police authorities.

Harassment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues to police forces on obtaining statements from the subjects of alleged harassment on occasions when individuals are charged with offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

James Brokenshire: Guidance to the police service on obtaining statements from the victims of stalking and harassment can be found in the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) publication ‘Practice Advice on Investigating Stalking and Harassment’. This guidance was produced by the National Policing Improvement Agency on behalf of ACPO.

Harassment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers police forces have to issue warnings or cautions to persons under investigation for offences of stalking or harassment.

Theresa May: The police have the power to administer a simple caution to an adult offender who has admitted such an offence, or to administer a warning to an offender aged under 18 years who has committed an offence of stalking or harassment. Guidance to police on administering a simple caution is contained within Home Office Circular 016/2008, and guidance on reprimands and warnings in the Final Warning Scheme was published in 2002. Decisions on administering simple cautions, reprimands and warnings must be made in accordance with the Director of Public Prosecution's Guidance on Charging. The police retain the authority to administer a simple caution, reprimand or warning in all cases, other than those involving indictable-only offences, where the matter must be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a decision. Police officers can also take advice from the CPS at any stage in an investigation on whether a simple caution is appropriate, as set out in the Director's Guidance on Charging.

Homicide: Offensive Weapons

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of a homicide by a sharp instrument in each year from 1991 to 2011.

James Brokenshire: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given on 15 February 2011, Official Report, column 661W.

Human Trafficking

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department provides on the length of the recommended support period for victims of human trafficking.

Damian Green: Under the National Referral Mechanism, decisions about who is a victim of trafficking are made by trained specialists in designated ‘competent authorities'. The detailed guidance issued to competent authorities instructs that a minimum 45-day recovery and reflection period should be granted to identified victims and extended where circumstances warrant.
	The guidance is available at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/asylumprocessguidance/specialcases/guidance/competent-guidance
	and I shall place a copy in the Library.

Human Trafficking: EU Law

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account her Department's human trafficking strategy will take of measures to implement the European human trafficking directive.

Damian Green: The strategy on human trafficking will take full account of the contents of the EU directive.

Human Trafficking: EU Law

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government plans to take to implement the provisions of article 18 of the European human trafficking directive.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she plans to consult with non-governmental organisations on implementing the directive of the European Parliament and the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims;
	(2)  what steps she plans to take to ensure the effective implementation of the directive of the European Parliament and the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.

Damian Green: The Government will shortly be applying to the European Commission formally to opt in to the EU directive on human trafficking. If our application is accepted, we will consider the necessary implementation requirements thereafter.

Human Trafficking: EU Law

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when and in what form she plans to introduce legislation to ensure compliance with the provisions of the directive of the European Parliament and the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.

Damian Green: The Government will shortly be applying to the European Commission formally to opt in to the EU directive on human trafficking. If our application is accepted, we will consider the necessary legislative requirements thereafter, subject to the parliamentary timetable.

Independent Domestic Violence Advocate: Expenditure

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department provided for independent domestic violence advocates in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: We have allocated £2.5 million per year to support independent domestic violence advisers (IDVAs) for 2011-12 to 2014-15.
	Full details of the successful IDVA bids can be found at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/violence-against-women-girls/idva/

Members: Correspondence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Bridgend of 6 January 2011, reference MM/06/01/2011.

Damian Green: I wrote to the hon. Member in response to her letter on 9 June 2011, and I apologise for the delay in doing so.

Naturalisation: Republic of Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people with a birthplace in the Republic of Ireland who applied for a UK Certificate of Naturalisation in the last five years gave a current address in Northern Ireland.

Damian Green: holding answer 10 June 2011
	The following table provides information relating to the number of applicants for naturalisation who were born in the Republic of Ireland and gave a current address in Northern Ireland.
	
		
			 Applications received through naturalisation of British citizenship living in Northern Ireland, born in Republic of Ireland from 2006-10  (1) 
			  Case type Central point Birth country Number of Persons 
			 2006 Naturalisation Northern Ireland Ireland (2)— 
			 2007 Naturalisation Northern Ireland Ireland 5 
			 2008 Naturalisation Northern Ireland Ireland — 
			 2009 Naturalisation Northern Ireland Ireland (2)— 
			 2010 Naturalisation Northern Ireland Ireland — 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. (2) Negligible i.e. two or less. 
		
	
	This information is taken from local management information provided by UK Border Agency, North West Region Planning and MI Team. It is not a National Statistic and as such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change

Passports: Lost Property

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions staff at the UK Border Agency have reported the loss by the agency of the passport of a foreign national in each of the last 12 months.

Damian Green: Passport losses are not currently recorded in a single format across the UK Border Agency. It is not possible to identify and cross check all present records to collate figures.

Passports: Republic of Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who applied to the British embassy in Dublin for a UK passport between 2008 and 2010 gave a current address in the Irish Republic.

Damian Green: holding answer 10 June 2011
	Between 2008 and 2010 the Passport Section at the British embassy produced 27,967 passports.
	Applicants with a current address in the Irish Republic must apply to the British embassy in Dublin.

Police: Manpower

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were serving in each police force area in England and Wales in (a) March 2010 and (b) March 2011.

Nick Herbert: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 26 April 2011, Official Report, columns 359-61W.

Repatriation: Families

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 414-15W, on deportation: children, how many of the 230 family groups removed from the UK between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011 departed voluntarily.

Damian Green: Since my original response of 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 414-15W, the figures have been refreshed and now show that there were 236 family groups removed from the UK between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011. Of these, 144 departed voluntarily.
	The information provided cannot be taken from or compared to published National Statistics as these report on children rather than family groups. Published National Statistics do not separately identify all enforced removals and all voluntary departures.
	All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Stalking: Crime Prevention

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of stalking.

James Brokenshire: Tackling stalking is a key priority for the Home Office and we are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to improve the support available to victims. Our action plan for tackling violence against women, published on 8 March 2011, includes several actions to tackle stalking, including a commitment from the Home Office to continue to fund the National Stalking Helpline over the spending review period and the formation of a National Stalking Strategy Group comprising the police, CPS, Home Office, Ministry of Justice and experts in the field. Other initiatives include:
	The appointment of dedicated Single Points Of Contact (SPOCs) in each force area to deal with stalking complaints;
	Revised official Government guidance last year on stalking and harassment that focuses on the victim, emphasises the existence and widespread nature of ‘stalking’ as a particular category of harassment and identifies the various ways in which stalking occurs.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Disability Living Allowance: Mobility Component

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effects on people with autism of the proposed reduction in the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: There are no proposals to reduce the mobility component of disability living allowance.
	We announced that we would not remove the DLA mobility component from people in residential care from October 2012 and that we would review the existing evidence and gather more to determine the extent to which there are overlaps in provision for mobility needs of people in residential care homes.
	When the work is complete we will make a final decision on the way forward. Any changes will be rolled into the introduction of personal independence payment from April 2013.

State Pension Age: Women

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on planned changes to the state pension age for women;

Gerry Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on his policy on the date at which the state pension age for women will start to rise.

Steve Webb: A number of stakeholder groups, as well as individuals, have expressed concern about the changes we propose although the majority of commentators agree that we need to increase the state pension age more quickly.

Crown Relocations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Chris Grayling: At present, the Department for Work and Pensions holds no contracts with a supplier called Crown Relocations or with variants of that supplier name.

Departmental Telephone Services

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what circumstances it is the policy of his Department and its agencies (a) to record and (b) not to record telephone conversations with benefit claimants; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) policy is that all calls are recorded, with the exception of the Jobcentre Plus national benefit fraud hotline and some sections within Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS).
	The Department records its telephone calls for several reasons, including training purposes and for quality checking the service provided by our agents to our customers. Call recording also enables us to investigate any complaints made about the service provided by our agents.
	The Department does not record national benefit fraud hotline calls because callers have the right to anonymity when contacting us about suspected benefit fraud, and recording the calls would be in breach of this right.
	Within PDCS, all customer inquiries relating to new claims or change in circumstance are recorded with the exception of calls to the following specialist sections within National Pension Centre;
	Widows,
	Complex Cases,
	Voluntary National Insurance Contributions Query Line,
	Adult Dependency Increase cases, Home Responsibilities Payments and
	E-Claim inquiries.
	The volume of these calls is minimal and occurs when customers are transferred from the 0845 inquiry line, which is recorded, into the specialist section within National Pension Centre to deal with their query. The sections listed above sit on a 01 geographical number, which means that we are not able to record those calls.

Departmental Telephone Services

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether telephone conversations with benefit claimants made in the course of his Department's pilot projects are recorded; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) policy has recorded all pilot project calls.

Disability Living Allowance: Islington

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the London borough of Islington were in receipt of disability living allowance in the latest period for which figures are available; how many recipients have been interviewed and their benefits reassessed since May 2010; and how many (a) were awarded a lower level of benefit, (b) lost all of their allowance and (c) were successful on appeal.

Maria Miller: The number of people in the London borough of Islington who are in receipt of disability living allowance is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 Disability living allowance recipients: November 2010 
			  Number 
			 Islington local authority 10,930 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. DLA figures are published at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110330154536/http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100% data. 
		
	
	Personal independence payment and the new objective assessment will be implemented for people of working age from April 2013 and any interviews and reassessments in relation to the new benefit will not take place before that date.
	We are unable to provide information on how many current recipients of disability living allowance have been interviewed and had their benefit re-assessed since May 2010, and the outcomes, as management information systems within the Pension, Disability and Carers Service do not record that detail.

Employment and Support Allowance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for East Ham of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 94-95W, if he will estimate the proportion of contributory employment and support allowance claimants in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland in (i) the work-related activity group and (ii) the assessment phase who would, in a steady state without time limiting, have a duration of 12 months or more.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available. The modelling of the future employment and support allowance case load, with and without time limiting, is made at a national level and cannot be broken down into smaller geographies.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on the adequacy of the assessment process for determining employment and support allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: We are committed to improving the work capability assessment so it is as fair and accurate as possible.
	As part of this, we welcome the first independent review of the work capability assessment, led by Professor Malcolm Harrington. The review considered a substantial amount of evidence, including over 400 responses from individuals, organisations and representative bodies to a call for evidence.
	As a result of his review of this evidence, Professor Harrington has come forward with a wide range of far-reaching and challenging proposals which we are committed to taking forward. Indeed most of these changes are already in place and we will implement the remainder by summer to coincide with the first work capability assessments of incapacity benefits claimants taking part in the full nationwide reassessment.
	We have now appointed Professor Harrington to conduct a second independent review of the WCA and provide further recommendations as appropriate. As part of this review, we expect Professor Harrington to launch a further call for evidence this summer.
	The Department continues to value the views of disability groups and we are engaged in ongoing and helpful dialogue at both ministerial and official level with group representatives. For example, I can confirm that my officials have recently met with Mind, Mencap, National Autistic Society and RNIB to discuss WCA-related issues.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 94-95W, on employment and support allowance, to what point in each of the financial years cited his estimates relates.

Chris Grayling: The figures referenced are calculated using the average case load for each financial year.

Employment Schemes: Voluntary Organisations

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department’s press notice of 1 April 2011 on Work programme prime contracts, how many of the voluntary sector subcontractors will operate in each of the 18 regions.

Chris Grayling: A list of Work programme subcontractors by sector and contract package area can be found on the Supplying DWP website. There are a total of 1,099 organisations across all tiers of the supply chains, 508 of whom are from the voluntary sector, 416 are from the private sector and 175 from the public sector.
	This is a great opportunity for voluntary organisations to show what they can do, using their local and specialist skills and experience to change peoples’ lives. It should be noted that supply chains will evolve during the Work programme contracts as providers build up their networks identifying innovative approaches to supporting individuals. This will increase the opportunity further for additional voluntary organisations to become involved with the Work programme.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Chris Grayling: For the Department for Work and Pensions, the G4S Group holds one Learning and Development contract and three regionally based Work programme contracts.
	Further details are provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Supplier Contract purpose Contract value (£ million) 
			 G4S Assessment Services Learning and Development 0.035 
			 G4S Regional Management (UK & I) Ltd Work Programme (Contract Package Area 07) 69.3 
			 G4S Regional Management (UK & I) Ltd Work Programme (Contract Package Area 10) 76.1 
			 G4S Regional Management (UK & I) Ltd Work Programme (Contract Package Area 18) 44.5

IBM

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Chris Grayling: For the Department for Work and Pensions, the IBM Group of companies presently hold two contracts. Further details are provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Supplier Contract purpose Contract value (£ million) 
			 IBM UK Ltd Maintenance and Support of Lotus Software 0.415 
			 IBM Cognos License and Support Agreement 0.015

Income Support: Young People

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people aged 20 were in receipt of income support because they were living independently and in full-time education in each year since 2005.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
	The data the Department does hold on categories of income support (IS) claimants aged 20 are in the following table.
	The ‘others receiving IS’ category gives an approximation of the number of claimants living independently and in full-time education.
	
		
			 Income support 20-year-old claimants by statistical group in Great Britain, November 2010 
			  Number 
			 All 30,480 
			 Incapacity benefit 2,390 
			 Lone parent 22,820 
			 Carer 1,280 
			 Others receiving IS 3,990 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Data have been compiled using the claimants Income Support Statistical Group, which is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. 3. Lone parents are defined as claimants on income support with a child under 16 and no partner. Lone parent obligations were introduced from 24 November 2008 affecting the age of the youngest child. 4. Incapacity benefits are defined as those receiving incapacity benefit or disability living allowance. 5. Carers are defined as those receiving carer’s allowance. Source: 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study data.

Industrial Diseases

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many instances of musculoskeletal conditions reported to have been caused or aggravated by workplace conditions his Department has recorded since 2010.

Chris Grayling: The latest year for which statistics are available is 2009-10. The best estimate of the overall number of musculoskeletal disorders caused or aggravated by working conditions comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). An estimated 572,000 people, who worked during the last year, suffered from a musculoskeletal disorder (long-standing as well as new cases) they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work. 188,000 of these were new conditions which started during the year.
	
		
			 Musculoskeletal disorders 2009-10 
			  Estimated cases (thousand) 
			 Total cases of musculoskeletal disorders 572 
			 New cases of musculoskeletal disorders 188

Industrial Diseases: Death

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many deaths from occupational diseases reported to have been caused or aggravated by workplace conditions his Department has recorded since 2010.

Chris Grayling: Statistics relating to deaths from occupational diseases reported to have been caused or aggravated by workplace conditions since 2010 are not available.
	No single source of information provides a count of the number of people who have died from occupational illnesses. For some causes of death, occupational cases are clinically indistinguishable from those due to other factors. For these causes numbers have to be estimated rather than counted.
	Research commissioned by HSE estimated that 8,019 cancer deaths in Great Britain in 2005 were attributable to exposures to carcinogens at work, and it is likely that a similar number would have occurred in subsequent years. This estimate includes deaths from the asbestos- related cancer mesothelioma.
	Using other international research, it is also estimated that there are currently approximately 4,000 deaths in Great Britain each year from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) due to past occupational exposures to dusts, gases, vapours and fumes. Again, it is likely that a similar number would have occurred in subsequent years.
	The number of deaths in Great Britain for 2008 (the latest year for which data are available) due to the small group of diseases that can be regarded as occupational on the basis of the cause of death alone are provided in table 1.
	Most of the occupational diseases that cause death usually take many years to develop following occupational exposures. Estimates of current deaths therefore largely reflect industrial conditions of the past.
	
		
			 Table 1: Deaths due to occupational lung diseases 2008 
			  Number 
			 Mesothelioma(1) (2)2,249 
			 Asbestosis(3) (2)360 
			 Pneumoconiosis other than asbestosis 139 
			 Byssinosis 1 
			 Farmer's lung and other occupational allergic alveolitis 7 
			 Total 2,756 
			 (1) Death certificates that mention mesothelioma. (2) Provisional. (3) Death certificates that mention asbestosis excluding those that also mention mesothelioma. Source: Health and Safety Executive

Industrial Health and Safety

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the rate of compliance of (a) all employers and (b) small and medium-sized employers with health and safety regulations in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: HSE has made no estimate of the rate of compliance of employers with health and safety regulations and does not collect information for this purpose.

Industrial Health and Safety

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of incidents reported to the Health and Safety Executive under the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 were investigated in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: HSE undertook investigation into nearly 4% of reported incidents that occurred between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010.

Industrial Health and Safety: Journalism

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the risks to the health and safety of journalists of (a) trends in workload and (b) technological changes in the media environment.

Chris Grayling: Statistical information available to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides sample numbers that are too small to identify trends in health and safety for journalists.
	Information on the effective assessment and management of workload and on managing organisational change, which can be as a result of technological changes, is available on the HSE website and is applicable to a wide range of occupations including journalism.

Jobcentre Plus: Closures

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the closure of Jobcentre Plus and benefit contact centres in Liverpool, Huyton and Chester on (a) response times for replies to correspondence and (b) the quality of service provided to users.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Darra Singh
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what assessment has been made of the potential effect of the closure of Jobcentre Plus Benefit and Contact Centres in Liverpool, Huyton and Chester on (a) response times for replies to correspondence and (b) the quality of service provided to users. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The closures of the Benefit and Contact Centres in Liverpool, Huyton and Chester should affect neither our correspondence response times nor the quality of the service that we provide to our customers.
	With regards the correspondence that we receive, Jobcentre Plus has clearly laid down service standards whereby a customer can expect a full response within 10 working days of us receiving the letter. We are also committed to responding to Members of Parliament writing to us on behalf of a customer within 15 working days.
	The rationalisation of our offices can be completed without impacting on the service, we offer to our customers. Our contact centre network is virtual, meaning that calls are routed to the next available agent no matter where they are in the country. Similarly, customers do not actually have direct contact with our benefit processing sites - telephone calls about benefit enquiries are dealt with in our contact centre network.
	Our business transformation is designed to respond to the changing ways that people seek to access, our services. Our online job search facility receives more than a million visits every day and our contact centres handle more than 230,000 calls every working day. People can now apply for Jobseeker's Allowance via the internet and more than 500,000 have done so. We are planning to build on these arrangements and introduce a range of new digital services that today's employers and customers expect, including online benefit tracking and enabling jobseekers to create online profiles which can then be matched to vacancies. We are also focused on continuing to modernise and develop our benefit centres to drive up productivity and value for money.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of new claimants of (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) employment and support allowance in 2014 who will receive such allowances for the maximum time permitted under his proposals.

Chris Grayling: In the calendar year 2014, we estimate that (a) 24% of JSA contributions customers will reach the six-month threshold and (b) 32% of ESA contributory customers will reach the 12-month threshold, which are the maximum times permitted under the proposals.

New Enterprise Allowance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 600W, on the new enterprise allowance, on what date he plans to publish the list of successful applicants; and how many applications he received prior to the deadline.

Chris Grayling: Details of the successful applicants are being published on the DWP website as they become available.
	We do not intend to publish information on the number of applications received for each exercise.

Pensioners: Rebates

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners living in Wales received an electricity rebate under the Energy Rebate Scheme in 2010.

Steve Webb: The Energy Rebate Scheme resulted in just over 205,000 rebates of which we estimate around 10,500 were made to people living in Wales.
	The scheme provided an £80 rebate on electricity bills to eligible people where, on 26 March 2010, they (or their partner) were aged 70 or over and receiving only the guarantee credit element of pension credit. They also needed to be responsible for paying their own electricity bill.
	Note:
	The six participating energy suppliers provided this information. Some were able to provide breakdowns by country. Others provided estimates based on the proportion of their customers living in Wales.

Pensions: Tooting

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Tooting constituency claim pension credit.

Steve Webb: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			 Recipients of pension credit in the Tooting constituency 
			  Individual beneficiaries Household recipients 
			 As at November 2010 3,920 3,350 
			 Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data

Private Rented Housing: Greater London

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of private sector tenants in each London borough who have needed to change accommodation as a result of changes to their housing benefit allowance in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: While we cannot provide estimates at this early stage, or predict the behavioural impact of the reforms, it is likely that only a few people will have needed to move. We are giving existing claimants up to nine months transitional protection from the anniversary date of the claim so many will not start to see a change in the local housing allowance rate until January 2012.
	We have provided an indication of the average weekly losses in benefit and percentages of the caseload affected in each local authority in the impact assessment published on 30 November 2010 available on the Department for Work and Pensions website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lha-impact-nov10.pdf
	We have also commissioned a consortium of leading research organisations to evaluate the effects of recent local housing allowance changes. They are undertaking an independent review which will run for two years.

Serco

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Chris Grayling: For the Department for Work and Pensions, the Serco Group holds two Work Programme, 10 Science, Research and Technical Support and three Flexible New Deal contracts. Although there are a total of 15 live contracts in all, the three Flexible New Deal contracts will terminate in June 2011. Further details of the contracts are provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Supplier Contract purpose Contract value  (£ million) 
			 Serco Group plc Work Programme (Contract Package Area 15) 72.0 
			 Serco Group plc Work Programme (Contract Package Area 17) 43.7 
			 Serco Group plc Flexible New Deal—Coventry and Warwickshire, The Marches, Staffordshire 138.3 
			 Serco Group plc Flexible New Deal—Greater Manchester Central, Greater Manchester East and West 118.2 
			 Serco Group plc Flexible New Deal—South East Wales, North and Mid Wales 137.2 
			 Serco Group plc 10 x Science, Research and Technical Support contracts for the Health and Safety Executive 0.536

Shared Housing: Glasgow

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he made of the availability of shared accommodation in Glasgow when taking the decision on the extension of the shared accommodation rate of housing benefit to single people under 35 years.

Steve Webb: No assessment has been made of the availability of shared accommodation in Glasgow. This will depend on the responses of claimants and landlords to the reduced local housing allowance entitlement.

Social Security Benefits: Young People

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits will be available to people aged (a) 15, (b) 16, (c) 18 and (d) 25 with long-term health conditions under the proposed universal credit scheme when they are (i) in employment, (ii) unable to work as a result of their condition, (iii) seeking work and (iv) in education.

Chris Grayling: The Welfare Reform Bill sets out that the minimum age for universal credit is generally 18 but provides scope to vary this for specific groups, via regulations.
	The aim is to maintain access to benefits for under-18s, including those with long-term health conditions, on broadly the same basis as now. Currently, 15-year-olds are not eligible for income-related employment and support allowance but 16 and 17-year-olds can receive it if they are assessed as having limited capability for work under the work capability assessment. We intend to follow a similar approach under universal credit and that benefit should be available to qualifying young people both in and out of work.
	Those aged 18 or over will be able to claim universal credit whether or not they have limited capability for work, providing they satisfy the other entitlement conditions. Under the Bill a basic condition of entitlement is that a person is not receiving education but there is scope to make exceptions in regulations. It is expected that these exceptions will maintain the current support that is available through the benefits and tax higher education.

State Retirement Pensions

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in Tooting constituency who will reach the state pension age (a) more than one year and (b) two years later than planned as a result of the proposed new timetable for state pension age changes.

Steve Webb: We estimate that in Tooting constituency there are approximately 520 women who will have an increase in state pension age of more than a year. Of these women, approximately 50 will have an increase of exactly two years.

State Retirement Pensions

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department plans to offer to individuals who will retire before reaching state pension age as a result of the Government's proposed timetable for state pension age changes.

Steve Webb: People who are unemployed may claim a working age benefit (jobseeker’s allowance or employment and support allowance) and receive employment help from Jobcentre Plus until they become eligible for state pension. This year, we have given Jobcentre Plus staff more flexibility to help people find and keep jobs. We are rolling out a range of new measures aimed at getting Britain working, including Work Clubs to help jobseekers share skills or experiences and the new enterprise allowance for those considering self-employment. From this summer, the Work programme will provide personalised help for people unemployed for longer or who need early intensive support.
	The Government have introduced legislation this year to phase out the default retirement age (DRA), which will mean that employers can no longer retire people compulsorily at 65 years using the DRA. This change will help people to extend their working life until they become eligible for state pension, or beyond if they choose to. The legislation will still allow employers to use compulsory retirement ages, which can be earlier than 65 years, providing they can objectively justify it.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women living in Tooting constituency and affected by the proposed timetable for state pension age changes are (a) in full-time work, (b) in part-time work and (c) unemployed.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available at constituency level.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women living in Tooting constituency affected by the proposed timetable for state pension age changes are married or cohabiting with a partner.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available at constituency level.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women in Islwyn constituency who will have their state pension age increased by one year or more as a consequence of the proposed change to the state pension age for women.

Steve Webb: We estimate that in Islwyn constituency there are approximately 2,650 women who will have their state pension age increased by one year or more as a consequence of the proposed change on the state pension age for women.

Work Capability Assessment

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what means the proposals in the Welfare Reform Bill will take account of the findings of the Harrington review of the work capacity assessment in relation to fluctuating conditions.

Chris Grayling: We are committed to improving the work capability assessment so it is as fair and accurate as possible.
	As part of this, we welcome the first independent review of the work capability assessment, led by Professor Malcolm Harrington. We are committed to taking forward all of his recommendations. Most of these changes are already in place and we will implement the remainder by summer to coincide with the first work capability assessments of incapacity benefits claimants taking part in the full nationwide reassessment.
	Additionally, as part of his second independent annual review of the work capability assessment, Professor Harrington has already asked a number of charities including the MS Society, Arthritis Care, Parkinsons UK, Colitis UK, Crohns and the National Aids Trust to look in detail at the work capability assessment descriptors for fluctuating conditions.
	We look forward to receiving Professor Harrington's recommendations regarding these conditions later this summer.